Open File Report 102
New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources
Thisreport
ianded inpart
u.
1979
is the result of acooperativeproject
by theConservationDivision
9. GeologicalSurvey
of the
under grant14-08-0001-448.
E n v i r o n m e n t a l C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of Menefee Coals
i n t h e Torreon Wash Area, New Mexico
by
David E. Tabet
and
Stephen J. F r o s t
with
Water Well Program Report
bY
William 3 . Stone and Steven D. Craigg
This xeport i s t h e r e s u l t of a c o o p e r a t i v e p r o j e c t
funded i n p a r t by t h e Conservation Division
U.S.
Geological Survey under .grant
i
of t h e
14-08-0001-448.
Table of Contents
Page
Table of Contents
ii
L i s t of Figures
iv
L i s t of Tables
vi
1
Tntroduction
Previous Work
1
Purpose arid Scope
3
Acknowledgements
4
6
mqional Stratigraphy
Introduction
6
Mancos Shale
6
Point Lookout Sandstone
8
Menefee Formation
10
Introduction
10
Cleary Member
12
Allison Member
13
Upper Member
17
17
clifi House Sandstone
Introduction
17
La Ventana Tongue
19
C l i f f House Sandstone, mainbody
21
Lewis Shale
22
Tertiary Igneous Rocks
25
28
Geologic Structure
ii
Table of Contents
(continued)
Page
Depositional Environment
for Menefee Coals
32
Introduction
32
P o i n t Lookout S t r a t i g r a p h y and Cleary Member c o a l s
32
C l i f f House Stratigraphy and upper
38
General Environment
member c o a l s
40
of t h e Menefee
45
Coal Geology
Des c ription o f Surface Exposures
45
Coal Analyges
47
Coal Prospects and
47
Mines
CoalResources
52
Coal and S urface Ownership
60
63
Re fe re nces C i ted
Appendix I
Coal and
Surface
Ownership
Appendix 'I1
Coal D r i l l Eole Summary Sheets
Appendix I11 Water Well Program Report
(by William J. Stoneand
Steven D. Craigg)
Maps
67
81
125
L i s t of Figur es
Page
Fi g u re 1
area
Figure 2
Fi g u re 3
Fi g u re 4
Fi g u re 5
Fi g u re 6
Fi g u re 7
Fi g u re 8
Fi g u re 9
Figure
lo
23
I
Fi g u re 11
b a ck g ro u n d ).
Fi g u re 1 2
-
-
-
Location map of t h e Torreon Wash
study
Diagrammatic c r osses c t i os tnu d y
2
area
Photograph of t h et r a n s i t i o n a l contact.
betwden t h e P o i n t LookoutSandstone
and t h e Mancos Shale
Isopachous map ofPoint
Lookout
Sandstone
7
9
11
Typicalexposure of carbonaceousshale,
sandstone,andcoalof
lower p a r t of t h e
Cleary Member of t h e Menefee Formation
14
Typicalexposureofchannelsandstones
and barren gray.sha3.es
of t h e A l l i s o n
Member of t h e Menefee Formation
16
Burrowed uppersur f ace of a c r e v a s s e
s p l a y or l e vseaen d s t odneep o s i t
16
'
I l l u s t r a t i o n of t h es h a r pc o n t a c t
between
the upper c oal- bear ing
member of t h e
Menefee Formation and t h e La Ventana
Tongue of t h e C l i f f House Sandstone
.
18
The whi te La Ventana Tongue of t h e C l i f f
House S a n d s t o n e o v e r l i e s t h e upper
member of Menefee Formation h e r e i n
t h e SW%, sec. 1 0 , Tl8N, R4W
20
V i e w northeastward from the SE%, sec. 10
Tl8N, R4W showing t h e La Ventana Tongue
of t h e C l i f f House Sandstone(base of
mesa) o v e r l a i n by t h e L e w i s Shale
c o n t a i n i n g t h i n seaward extending tongues
o f t h e mainbody o f t h e C l i f f House
. Sandstone
V i e w l o o k i n gs o u t h e a s tt o w a r dt h e
Cerro
Parido plug (middle ground)and the
northwest t i p of Mesa Chivato and t h e
Bear .Mount plug ( dar k r idge and point
in
Page s i z e geologic map o f t h e
Wash a r e a -
Torreon
26
29
List of Figures
(continued)
Page
-
Figure 13
Figure 14
-
Figure 15
-
Figure 17 -
Figure 16
Figure 18
-
-
Figure 19
Structure contour map on the of
top
the Point Lookout Sandstone
30
Diagrammatic section illustrating
irregularity of sand and associated
sediments for regressive and transgressive Cretaceous shoreline movements33
The "black" sandstone deposit is visible
as a dark Ledge in the middle
of the
hill at the top of the vuggy-weathexing
white Point Lookout Sandstone
36
Isopachous mapof total coal in the
Cleary Memberof the MenefeeFormation
37
General stratigraphic cross section
of
the La Ventana Tongue and adjacent units 39
Diagram showing orientation
of axes
of trough
cross-stratification
43
Photograph and mine map
o f the Tochias
of
prospect along with an illustration
the coal section mined
51
L i s t of Tables
Page
'
Table 2
-
Table 3
-
ShallowIndicatedResources
54
Table 4
-
Percent ownership of s u r f a c e by township
60
Table 5
-
P e r c e n t ownershipof
61
Table 1
Macroinvert ebr atef aunal
list from t h e
Lewis S hal e, sec. 8 , T18N, R3W
24
Coal Analyses
49
vi
coal by township
INTRODUCTION
Previous
Various
earlier
Work
workers
have
studied
all
of part
or
the Torreon Wash project area (Figure
1). Dutton (1885)
conducted
the
first
reconnaissance
examination
through
the
Torreon Wash area and outlined the geology, giving emphasis
to the volcanic rocks. Schrader (1906) and Gardnes
(1909, 1910) traced the Upper Cretaceous coal-bearing rocks
around
east
the
from
San
Juan
Gallup,
Basin
New
south
Mexico
from
and
Durango,
described
Colorado
selected
and
coal
exposures. Hunt (1936) and Dane (1936) made more detailed
of the
examinations at the coal beds in the southern
part
Basin
in
and
an
attempted
effort
ti
to correlate some of the thicker beds
classify
the
coal
resources
on
public
Shomaker and others (1971) include some general information
about
the
strippable
study
coal
area
in
their
resources
for
discussion
of low-sulfur,
the
entire
San
Juan
Basin.
Beaumont and Shomaker (1974) give
a short summaryof the
geology
and
deep
Torreon
area
and
coal
the
resources
deep
coal
at
the
Cuba-La
of the
resources
area
Ventanaare
discussed at length and Shomaker and Whyte (1977).
Stratigraphic studies by Sears, Hunt, and Hendricks
(1941) and Pike (1947) provide an explanation of the
complex intextonping of marine
ana
nonmarine
Cretaceoua
atrata of the San Juan Basin. These workers conclude the
land.
I
0
io
20
80YILLI
Tarrron rtudy area
I
FIGURE 1
Moncoo Sholr, Mrrowrdr Omup, Lrwl6 Shah, and Picfurad Cllffr Sandotcnr
Cool d r r p r r than 3,000 frat
- Location
map of the Torreon Wash study area.
2
~~~
intertonguing
shoreline
resulted from transgressive and regressive
movements
and the attendant shifts in depositional
environments. The shoreline movements were caused by
changes
in
the
rate
of
sedimentation
a constantly
in
subsiding basin. Further discussion of the transgressions
and regressions of the Upper Cxetaceous sea by Shomaker
and others (1971) and Fassett and Hinds
(1971) relates thicker
coal
deposits
to
slow
migrations
and
stillstands
of
shoreline movement. Both studies also note that coal deposits
are
most
continuous
along
trends
paralleling
ancient
shorelines. The petrography and sedimentology of rocks
deposited during the Point Lookout-Menefee-Cliff House
regressive-transgressive
cycle
were
investigated
'
by
Hollenshead and Pritchard(1961), Sabins (1964), Mannhard
(1976), Shetiwy (1978) and Siemers (1977, 1978).
Purpose and Scope
The
increasing
demand
for
coal
to
fuel
electrical
generation and industrial plants has created
a clamor
for
new
in
and
The U.S.
(Federal
better
information
Geological
Coal
exploration
coal
resources
New
Mexico.
Survey received
a legislative mandate
Leasing
and
about
Amendments
1975into
Act)
conduct
research programs to determine the quantity
o evaluate the extent, location,
and character as well t as
and
potential
This
report
for
is
development
of
the
natiods
coal
deposits.
the
result.ofa cooperatively funded program
3
between
the
New
and
the
The
goalsof this
the
coal
Mexico
Conservation
of
Mines
and
Mineral
Resources
Division of U.S.
the Geological Survey.
study
geology
Bureau
and
were
to
produce
a detailed
map
of
structure
on an up-to-date base.and to
estimate coal resources in the area mapped. Emphasis was
placed on delineating
coal
horizons
and
depositional
patterns
of buried o r hidden coal deposits.
that would help in location
A limited drilling program( 4 holes per township)was
undertaken
to
provide
information on the subsurface
continuity of surface-identified coal beds, to aid
in
calculating resources, and to obtain fresh samples for coal
analyses.
In addition, the drilling program provided
information
and
important
quantityas a result
to
coal
of
development
cooperation
about
with
the
water
quality
Water
Resources Branch of the
U.S. Geological Survey. Coal
resource
calculations
Geological
Survey
use
the
parameters
defined
U.S. in
Bulletin
1450-8.
Acknowledgements
f o r providing
Various people deserve special thanks
information
that
was
essential
to
understanding
the
stratigraphy and coal geology of the Torreon Wash area.
Howard
Nickelson,.
formerly
supervising
mining
engineer
with
the U.S. Geological Survey Conservation Division Office in
Farmington, New Mexico, allowed access to the expired coal
Warren
lease and prospect files for the study area. N.Ray
4
of Pioneer Nuclear, Incorporated, Albuquerque, New Mexico,
Dennis G. Storhaug of Tenneco Oil Company, Denver, Colorado,
and Thomas Drought agent for H.P.
the Drought Company, San
Antonio, Texas, all kindly released drill-hole information
F. Murphy with theU.S.
for use in this report. John
Geological
Survey
in
Chenoweth
with
the
Colorado,
provided
Denver,
Department
Colorado,and
of
William
L.
Energy
in Grand
Junction,
information they had collected about the
black sand depositin sec. 34, T17N, R4W. JohnW. Shomaker
and
EdwardC. Beaumont,
consultants
in
Albuquerque,'New
Mexico, freely discussed ideas about coal in the study area
based on their
Certainly
widespread
most
the
experience
in and around the area.
important
to
the
completion
of
this
funding provided byU.S.
theGeological
project
was
Survey,
Conservation
Division
under
grant
number
14-08-0001-448
and the cordial working relationship that developed with
the
Conservation
Division
staff
in
New
Mexico.
REGIONAL STRATIGRAPHY
Introduction
The
Torreon
stratigraphic relationships of the rocks at
Wash
area
are
the
shown diagxammatically in 2.
Figure
These strata are made up of Upper Cretaceous marine and
nonmarine
rocks
which
have
locally
been
intruded
or
overlain by Tertiary volcanic rocks related to the Mount
Taylor center to the southwest. Coal is found in the
Menefee
Formation,which
is
composed
of
the
basal
coal-bearing Cleary Member, the middle Allison Member,
a
sandy unit, essentially devoid of coal, and the upper
unnamed coal-bearing member. In the southern part of the
area
the
Menefee
Formation lies conformably on the Point
Lookout Sandstone; to the east and northeast it intergongues
with
the
La
Ventana
of the
Tongue
Cliff
House
Sandstone,
and to the northwest it is overlain by the Cliff House
Sandstone proper.
Mancos Shalg
Two tongues of the Mancos Shale, the Mulatto and Satan
Tongues,
are
exposed
in
the
southeastern
part
of
the
Torreon Washarea.in parts of T16N,R4W, and TlIN,R 3 and
4W.
These shales are the lowermost upper Cretaceous rocks
exposed in the area. They consist of medium-gray, silty,
laminated marine shale. The lower Mulatto and upper Satan
Tongues of the Mancos shale are separated by distal sands
6
s
HESA CHIVAT(
.. ., . .
~
Kmfo
of the Hosta Tongue of the Point Lookout Sandstone. The
Hosta Tongue thickens to the soukhwest. The main body of
the
Point
Tongue
Lookout
to
the
Sandstone
regressive
alternating
overlies
the
Satan
north.
Point
The
conformably
Lookout
marine
sand-shale
Sandstone
Point
Lookout
transitional
lower
Sandstone
contact
has
with
an
the
Satan Tongue of the Mancos Shale. The contact between
these
is characterized by a series of sand beds
units
two
and intervening shales in which the sandbeds increase
gradually
in
thickness
upward at the expense of the
shales
3).
until only a massive cliff forming sand exists (Figure
For the sakeof mapping, this contact was drawn where sand
predominates over shale. The Point Lookout crops out in
a belt
that
runs
southwestward
of Tl7N, R3W and T17N, R4W.
through
the
southern
part
This belt turns sharply south
midway through the later township and extends southward
through the central part of T16N,
R4W along the east edge
of Mesa
Chivato.
Outcrops
of
orange
to
light
toward
the
top
Bedding
toward
Point
Lookout
Sandstone
are
very
pale
in color for the most part, although
gray
exposures
the
may
be
very
light
gray
to
white.
of the unitis generally less than
base
3 ft thick and has planar-lamination; bedding toward the
top is thicker and has cross-lamination.
FIGURE
3 - Photograph of t h e transitional c o n t a c t
b e t w e e nt h eP o i n tL o o k o u tS a n d s t 0 n . e
a n d t h e Xancos
Shale (iiki,$, s e c . 1 2 , T. 16 [ I . , k. 4 i t . ' ) , "i'he con-
t a c t i s d r a m i n as mapped in t h e f i e l d . The s a n d s t o n e t o t h e l e f t i s l o w e rd u et o
l o c a l slumping.
9
Sand g r a i n s i n t h e P o i n t Lookout a r e s u b a n g u l a r t o
subroundedand
vary from v e r y f i n e t o f i n e g r a i n e d .
s i z e occur s from t h e b a s e t o t h e
general increase in grain
t o po ft h eform ation(S hetiwy,
dominantmineral
rock fragments,
Quartz i s t h e
Lookout, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e
Detrital g r a i n so fc h e r t ,f e l d s p a r ,
and o r g a n i c d e b r i s
are more common i n t h e
the upperPointLookout(Sabins,
co a rs ersandstonesof
Body f o s s i l s a r e n o t
1964).
common i n the Point Lookout although
Ophiomorpha may be common i n p l a c e s
the trace fossil
Examination of
well l o g s a c r o s s t h e T o r r e o n
shows t h e t h i c k n e s s o f
from 7 5 f t
1978).
in the Point
f i n e r grainedsandstones.
A
Wash area
t h e P o i n t LookoutSandstoneranges
t o 260 f t (F igur e 4 ) .
in
The t h i c k n e s sv a r i e s
a s y s t e m a t i c way to form a series of west-nort;lwest-trending
ridges and troughs.
Menefee Formation
Introduction
T h e Menefee F ormation consists of inter bedded shales
o r mudstones, s i l t s t o n e s ,s a n d s t o n e s
members o f t h e
and c o a l s .
Menefee mapped i n t h e T o r r e o n
The t h r e e
Wash a r e a were
e s s e n t i a l l y d i v i d e d on t h e b a s i s o f t h e p r e s e n c e o r a b s e n c e
ofcoal.These
members i n a s c e n d i n g o r d e r
Cleary Member, the sandy A llison
are thecoal- bear ing
Member, andanupper
unnamed coal-bearing member, f or mer ly consider ed par t
t h eA l l i s o n
Member.
The uppercoal
10
of
member u n d e r l i e s or
T.16N
Figure4. ISOPACHOUS MAP OF POINT LOOKOUTSANDSTONE
(contour interval 26 ft.)
11
intertongues
with
the
Cliff
House
Sandstone
and
includes
the Hogback Mountain tongue
of Shomaker and Whyte (1977).
The
Hogback
Mountain
tongue
was
defined
as more
one
or
Menefee tongues that are laterally (to the south) equivalent
and in part enclosed by the La Ventana Tongue of the Cliff
Bouse Sandstone.
These
three
members
represent
succession of depositional
the
environments
gradational
from
a coastal
swamp
to a floodplain and backto coastal swamp. Since the
succession is gradational, it necessarily follows that the
contacts
between
units are gradational and not easily
defined and thus are dashed
on the maps. The contact
between
the
Cleary
and
Allison
is drawn
members
at
the
base
of a thick, cliff-€arming channel sandstone sequence which
overlies
The
the
upper
uppermost major coal horizon of the Cleary.
contact
of
the
Allison
Member
with
the
overlying
upper coal member is even less well defined. This contact
is
drawn
rarely
where
found
coals and brown to black carbonaceous shales,
in
the
Allison
predominate over drab-gray
Cleary
The
and
Member,
tan
once
againto begin
mudstones.
Member
basal
CLeary
of the,MenefeeFormation
Member
has
a conformable, transitional contact with the underlying
Point Lookout Sandstone. This unit composed of palludal
deposits is generally 2 0 0 ft to 300 ft thick. The Cleary
12
Member c r o p s o u t i n
a northeast-trending belt running through
most of T16N, R5W, t h e west h a l f o f
T16N, R4W, t h e s o u t h e r n
p a r t of T17N, R4W, and t h e c e n t r a l p a r t
Lithologically the Cleary
grained palludal deposits
of Tl7N, R3W.
Member i s dominated by f i n e r
composed of s i l t - c l a y size
p a r t i c l e s andabundantorganic
debris.
A t var ioushor izons,
more commonly i n t h e lower h a l f of t h e C l e a r y , o r g a n i c
debris accumulated t o form c o a l beds (Figure 5 ) .
lenticularchannelsandstonedepositsand
related s p l a y and
make up a minor p o r t i o n of t h e
l e v ee s a ndst one deposi ts
Cleary Member.
Occasional
Thesesandsincreaseinabundancetoward
t h et o po ft h eu n i t .I r o n - r i c hc o n c r e t i o n a r yl a y e r so r
nodules composed of siderite a r e o f t e n a s s o c i a t e d
organic rich s h a l e so r
andfragmentsranging
mudstones.Abundant
with
p l a n ti m p r e s s i o n s
up t o s e c t i o n s of l o g s a r e
foundalong
beddingplanesbutnomacroinvertebratefossilsarefound.
The random o r i e n t a t i o n of t h e p l a n t debris and t h e
. o ccas i onal presence
t h eo r g a n i c
o f an upright stump indicate most
debris accumulated i np l a c e .
of
The c o a l i s
c h a r a c t e r i z e d by medium bands of v i t r a i n w i t h
b i t s of amber
along horizontal cleats.
A l l i s o n Member
The A l l i s o n Member, composed of channel sandstones
and barren silty
mudstonesand
shales, overlies the Cleary
-
FIGURE 5
Typicalexposureofcarbonaceousshale,
o f t h el o w e rp a r t
o f the
sandstone,andcoal
Cl eary Member o f t h e Menefee Formation (Wi,sec.
34, T . 1 7 N., R . 4 W,).
Member with an irregular but conformable contact. This
unit
crops
out
mainly
in
the
northernof third
T17N, R3VJ,and
Small areas of exposures
T17N, R4W.
the northern half of
occur in the southern parts of the two northern townships
and
capping
the
higher mesas of the two southern townships.
400 to 5 5 0 ft thick.
The Allison is roughly
Unlike
the
Cleary
Member,
of the
rocks
Allison
Member
are composed primarily of sand-silt sized particles and very
6).
little organic debris (Figure
the
basal
of the
part
Allison
Directly above the Cleary,
consists
of a 200-ft-thick
multi-story sequence of stacked channels. Above this basal
sequence, channel sand units are common but do not occur
in such thick stacked sequences. The channel sand units
are characterized by sharp scour bases containing numerous
clay clasts and wood fragments.
A major part of these units
has large s e t s of high-angle cross-stratification. The
cross-sets
generally
decrease
upward
in
size
and
thickness,
then change to trough cross-sets and finally
to ripplelamination. Grain size in the channel units decreases
generally upward from medium to very fine sand. In cross
section the channel sandstones are thick lenticular units
with a flat upper surface and
a concave-upward lower surface.
Laterally
associated with the thick channel sand units
3 ft
are thin, usually less than
, tabular bodies of fine,
silty sand. These bodies commonly have ripple-lamination
and numerous root tubes (Figure
7) along the upper surface and
15
represent splay
t o the channels
and l evee .deposits mar ginal
andextendingintothefloodplaindeposits.
w i t h the
The f l o o d p l a i n d e p o s i t s i n t e r s t r a t i f i e d
are l i g h t g r a y or t a n
channel and margi nal channel deposits
s i l t yc l a y s t o n e s
and s h a l e s .
Theseclaystonesandshales
contain little organicmaterial,probably
as a r e s u l t of an
o x i d i zing,well-draineddepositionalenvir onment.L ocally
thin coals
and some brown humic s h a l e s o c c u r , b u t t h e y
g e n erally compri se
less than 5 % o f t h e A l l i s o n
Member.
Upper Member
The upper unnamedmember
650 f t
o ft h e
compr ises as much a s
I t has a g r a d a t i o n a l
Menefee Formation.
lower contact with
t h e A l l i s o n Member and it i n t e r t o n g u e s
and i s o v e r l a i n by sand bodies of the Clif f
(Fi g u re 8 ) .
member is similar t o
L i t h o l o g i c a l l yt h eu p p e r
the Cleary Member.
t h eu p perpart
Most o f t h e t h i c k e r c o a l
of t heupper
of t h e La Ventana.
House Sandstone
beds o c c u r i n
member betweensandstonetongues
The uppercoal
t h e west, g r a d i n g l a t e r a l l y i n t o
member t h i n s somewhat t o
t h e A l l i s o n Member.
C l i f f House Sandstone
Introduction
The C l i f f
House Sandstone proper
and t h e s t r a t i g r a p h i c a l l y
lower La Ventana Tongue of t h e C l i f f House o v e r l i e 'and
i n t e r t o n g u e w i t h t h e Menefee Formation i n T l E N , R 3 and 4W.
Lack of d e t a i l e d mapping or s t r a t i g r a p h i c d a t a c a u s e d
earlier
workers (Dane, 1936; Shomaker a n do t h e r s ,
1974') t o p o s t u l a t e t h a t t h e
andShomaker,
1971; and Beaumont
MenefeeFormation
i s d i r e c t l y o v e r l a i n by t h e L e w i s Shale.
in this area
of t h e C l i f f House, a l b e i t t h i n , a r e
Marinesandstones
L e w i s Shale a t a l l
between t h e Menefee Formation and the
is p a r t i c u l a r l yc o m p l i c a t e d
exposures.Thisakea
stratigraphicallysinceonlythin
seaward ( n o r t h e a s t )
of t h e C l i f f House and t h i n landward
extendinglenses
(s o u t h w est ) ext ending lense s of the
of t h e Menefee.
overlyingmost
found
intertongueswith
La Ventana a r e found
The L e w i s Shale,which
the t h i n C l i f f House sands, pinches out
r a p i d l y t o nothing a t Chacra Mesa i n sec. 5, TIEN, R4W.
La Ventana Tongue
The La Ventana within the Torreon
Wash a r e a c o n s i s t s
of several l a t e r a l l y p e r s i s t e n t l e n s e s
up to 40 f t
thickthat
are i n t e r s t r a t i f i e d w i t h p a l l u d a l
Menefee member.
d e p o s i t s of t h eu p p e r
of marine sandstone
of La V e n t a n a s e p a r a t e s t h e
The uppermost l e n s
Menefee from t h e L e w i s Shale
through T U N , R3W, and t h e e a s t e r n h a l f o f
The lower La Ventanalenses,which
an d i n t e rt ongue
andthicken
T l E N , R4W ( Figur e 9).
occur i n T U N , R3WI t h i n
w i t h t h e Menefee Formation t o t h e s o u t h w e s t
toward t h e main
buildupof
t h e La Ventana t o
the northeast.
The La V e n t a n a s a n d s t o n e l e n s e s a r e c h a r a c t e r i z e d
sharp,generallyplanar
lower contacts with
t o slightlyundulatoryupper
by
and
the brown humic shales or c o a l s of t h e
19
upper Menefee. Load deformational structures and some
reworked
clastsof Menefee Lithology are found along the
lower contacts of these lenses. Internally, horizontal
to
veryo
lw angle
planar
cross-stratification
may
also
present. Iron-oxide-stained, knobby-walled Ophiomorpha
trace fossils are
indicator
The
of
quartzose
Sparseto very
be
,
abundantand a key
marine
conditions
for
the
sands
comprising
the
La
La
Ventana
Ventana
sands.
units
are
tan to light gray, fine to very fine grained, ana
moderately
Cliff
House
The
area
well
Sandstone, main body
main
was
sorted.
of the
body
originally
Cliff
named
the
House
Sandstone
Chacra
in
Sandstone
this
by
Dane
(1936) for Chacra Mesa,which
it caps,extending westward
from T18N, R4W. The name "Chacra" was dropped by Beaumont,
Dane,
when
Sears
(1956) in favor of the name
Vlif f House"
and
more
work
showed
the
continuity
of
this
sandstone
around the San Juan Basin.' The name "Chacra has
Tongue"
been informally used for the portion of the Cliff House
1971;
which caps Chacra Mesa (Shomaker and others,
Beaumont and Shomaker, 1974; Beaumont and others, 1976;
and Shomaker and Stone, 1977). Some subsurface work by
Fassett (1977) indicates this sandstone may be the lowest
of
several
tongues
of the Cliff House and he the
suggests
informal name "Tsaya" for this tongue since the name
"Chacra"
has
been
used for other subsurface sandstones.
21
We prefer to use the term Cliff House until further work
and
formal
new
name.
naming
clearly
warrants
the
introduction
a
of
..,
Dane (1936) measured 310 ft of Cliff House Sandstone
on Chacra Mesa in T18N, R4W. This thick cliff-forming unit
undergoes radical'changes just
a short distance to the
northeast. Surface exposures show a rapid seaward (northeast)
thinning of the cliff House aand
significant
increase
in
intertonguing with the marine Lewis Shale. Within the space
of 3 mi
, from
Chacra Mesa northeastward to near the Torreon
Trading Post, the Cliff House changes afrom
310-ft-thick
sandstone
to
an
interval
composed
of
upper
marine
sandstone
approximately 45ft thick, a medial tongue of Lewis Shale
roughly 165ft thick and a lower marine sandstone up
to
25 ft thick (Figure 10).
The quartzose.sands
of
the
Cliff
House
are
tan
to
light
gray, very fine grained, well-cemented with occasional
carbonaceous shale laminae. Sorting in these sands
is
generally poor to fair. Hollenshead and Pritchard (1961)
list
an
average
core
samples
petrographic
taken
description
Cliff
House
19 scattered wells as follows:
from
- 6 0 % , feldspar - IO%, rock
calcareous cement
- 15%.
quartz
and
from
fragments
- 5 % , clay - 5%,
Lewis Shale
Marine
sandstone
Lewis
tongue
Shale
in
the
22
overlies
the
northeast
uppermost
part
of
the
La
Ventana
Torreon
area
-
View northeastwardfrom t h e SEi, s e c . 1 0 ,
T. 18.N., H. 4
showing t h e L a Ventana Tongue of
o v e r l a i nb y
t h e C l i f f House Sandstone(base ofmesa)
t h e L e w i s S h a l e containing thin seawar d- .extending
tongues o f t h e main body o f t h z C l i f f House Sandstone.
FIGURE 10
W
.
23
Mollusca:
Bivalvia:
O s t r e ap l u m o s a
(abund.)
. o . a f f . 0. t e d t i c o s t a (one)
f n o c e r a m u vs a n u x e m i
I. a f f .
'I.
(abund.)
barabini (several)
I. s a g e n s i s ( s e v e r a l )
C r a s s o s t r e as u b t r i g o n a l i s
(several)
oranocardium w h i t e a ( s e v e r a l )
indeterminateveneridae(two)
P i n n a ? sp.(one)
N u c u l a ? sp.(one)
Gastropoda:
A p o r r h a i s sp.(abund.)
E o a c t e o n sp.(abund.)
Anisomyon b o r e a l i s (several)
B a n i s cf. B . siniformis ( s e v e r a l )
indeterminate turritelliform genus
Cephalopoda:
Baculi tes perpl exus
P l a c e n t i c e r a sl n t e r c a l a r e
Trace Fossils:
Gyrochorte
Table 1.
Macroinver tebr atef aunal l i s t from t h e pwis
Shale, sec. 8, T18N, R3W. Fauna l i s t e di n
approximateorderofabundance.
(From
Mannhard, 1 9 7 6 ) .
24
and
interfingers
with
the
main
Cliff
House
sandstone
to the
northwest. Good exposures of the Lewis Shale are sparse
and this unit was not studied in great detail. This unit
generally consists of gray to olive-gray silty shale with
common thin interbeds of silty sandstone.
A persistent
fossilliferous, thin, calcareous, silty sandstone occurs
about 40 ft above the uppermost La Ventana sand in T18N,
This unit contains numerous gastropods, bivalves, and
R3W.
ammonites, including Placenticeras intercalare. The
thickness of the
it
generally
Chacra
Mesa
Lewis
thickens
varies considerably over the area;
to the north and east from the
area.
Tertiary Igneous Rocks
Tertiary
volcanic
igneous rocks related to the Mount Taylor
center
intrude and overlie the upper Cretaceous
rocks of the Torreon Wash area.
A series of thick
columnar-jointed
basaltic
flows
caps
Mesa
Chivato
in
the
south. Abundant basaltic rubble forms talus slopes along
the
northern
slopes
of the
mesalobscuringthe underlying
Cretaceous rocks. Erosion has exposed several basaltic
of Mesa Chivato such
necks or plugs around the northern end
as Bear's Mouth and Cerro Parido (Figure 11). Some smaller
plugs
are
associated
with
north-south
trending
southwestern part of the area in T16N,
R5W.
A
dikes
in
series of
RSW through T17N,R ~ W I
en echelon dikes extends from Tl6N,
and into T U N , R5W to the edge of Chacra Mesa. The dikes
25
the
-
FIGURE 11
View l ooking southeast towar d the
Cerro
Pa ridoplug(m iddleground)andthenor thwesttip
o f Mesa Chivato and the Bear
Mouth p l u g ( d a r k r i d 4
a n dp o i n t i n background) i n T . 1 6 N . , H. 5 W.
26
are generally
1 f t t h i c k or less,yet can be
traced along
s t r i k e over a consi derablehor izontaldistance.T hese
igneousrockshavehad
l i t t l e o r no metamorphic e f f e c t
on t h e e n c l o s i n g s t r a t a .
27
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE
The
basic
structure
of
the
Torreon
Wash
area
can
be
depicted as a gentle northwestward-dipping block. The
regional
orientationof the
strata
has
a northeasterly
strike anda dip of 4O to 5O to the northwest. Dips
greater
than5O are generally the result of primary
depositional slopes or disturbances' along faults.
Complicating
the
general
picture
of
the
northwest-dipping
block are a series of northeast-trending normal faults,
usually with the east side of the fault raised relative
to the west side. These faults have relatively small
amounts of displacement, generally only
a few
with a maximum
displacement
of
up 150
toft
tens
along
of
ft,
the
more
predominant faults. Often the amountof displacement is
dispersed northward along the faults as they splay into
several lesser strands. Faulting is most prominently
displayed
along
the
Point
Lookout
escarpment
across
the
southern part of the Torreon Wash area. The successive
stepwise-rise
related
San
to
Juan
of
the
Basin
the
fault
blocks
'to
the
east
is
probably
edge of the
sharp uplift of the eastern
along
the
Nacimiento
front.
Basaltic dikes in the area also reflect the same
northeast-trending fracture pattern. An en echelon series
of thin dikes occurs along
a discontinuous line 11 mi long
15, T16N, RSW, northeast to the
from Coal Spring in aec.
east edge of Chacra Mesa in 29,
sec.T18N, R4W.
28
R. 5 W.
R.4 W.
R . 3 W.
EXPLANATION
Tertiary igneous rocks
Lewis Sh
a C l i f f House Ss
M U p p e r mem. of Menefee
I'i,
Kmfo
1
Allison mem. of Menefee
Cleary mem. of Menefee
a P o i n t Lookout Ss
2
0
miles
Figure '12. PAGE SIZE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE TORREONWASH AREA
29
OE
Folding i n t h ea r e a
is r e l a t i v e l y minor.
contour map on t h e top of t h e P o i n t
The s t r u c t u r e
LookoutSandstone
a small domal s t r u c t u r e i n t h e s o u t h e a s t e r n p a r t o f
R3W.
shows
TUN,
Thi s dome ext ends o f € a gentlenor th- plunging
a n t i c l i n a lf l e x u r ei n
T17N;R3W.
p l u n g i n ga n t i c l i n a lf l e x u r eo c c u r si n
amountsoffoldingalsooccurwithin
AnothergentlenorthT16N, R5W.
Small
100 f t of some f a u l t s
as a r e s u l t of drag a l o n g t h e f a u l t s u r f a c e .
DEPOSITIONAL,ENVIRONMENT FOR MENEFEE COALS
Introduction
The
where
San
Juan
Basin
depositional
steady
subsidence
region
conditions
has
were
been
regarded
controlled
by
as
an
area
continued,
and
a variable supplyof sediment to the
shore (Sears, Hunt, and Hendricks,1941).
If sediment
supply increased beyond the volume created by subsidence,
then
the
shoreline
deposits
would
build
seaward,causing
a
regression of the sea. X f sediment supply was less than
the volume created by subsidence, then the seas would
rework and override the shoreline deposits,causing
transgression of the sea. using this logic, ancient
regressive shoreline deposits should be thinner and not as
well-developed as
ancient transgressive shoreline deposits
because of their smaller supply
of sediment and greater
amount of reworking and erosion. The thickest ancient
shoreline
deposits
should be where sediment supply and
subsidence were in equilibrium and. successive shoreline
deposits were stacked upon each other. Correspondingly
of the thick
thick coal depositsshould be found landward
shoreline deposits (Figure14).
Point Lookout Stratigraphy
The
which
the
Point
Lookout
Cleary
and
Cleary
forms the
Sandstone
Member
of the
Menefee
Member
basal
unit
on
Formation
deposited. This sandstone is clearlya regressive,
32
Coals
was
1
Seo
Level
w
W
Figure 14. Diagrammatic section illustrating irregularity of sand and associatedsediments for regressiveandtransgressive Cretaceous shoreline
movements. (modified from Hollenshead and Pritchard. 1961)
shoreline-related
basal
contact
deposit with its transitional sand-shale
and
a general upward increase in grain size.
The Point Lookout forms
a continuous, although progressively
younger bodyof
sand,
starting
from
near
Torreon
in
the
120 mi to across the
south and extending northward over
Colorado state line (Hollenshead and Pritchard,
1961).
Hollenshead and Pritchard (1961) have further shown that
rather thana single sheet, the Point Lookout consists of
distinct
northwest-southeast-trending
benches
which
step
up
stratigraphically northeastward across the San Juan Basin.
Along the length of the bench the thickness
of the Point
Lookout remains fairly constant
at roughly 80 ft to 100 ft;
however, at each step up it may thicken to as 250
much
ft.as
Northeast
rapidly
from
each
tonguesout
continues
along
thickening,the
into
marine
lower
shale
part
while
of
the
the,
upper
sandstone
part
at
a new bench level.
Shomaker and others (1971) and Fassett and Hinds (1971)
claim
that
Upper
Cretaceous coal deposits in the San
Juan
Basin are oriented parallel to the ancient shorelines and
are thickest landward of shoreline still stands,where
a
slow,steady
buildupof sediment
and
organic
debris
occurred.
Understanding the nature of the stratigraphic changes
in
the
Point
Lookout
in the
Torreon
Wash
area
should
help
understand the distribution of the Cleary
or lower coals.
Within the Torreon Wash area,two step-wise rises of the Point
Lookout can be documented. The isopach
of Point Lookout thicknesses (Figure 4, p. 11) shows a well-defined thickening of the
34
Point
Lookout
second,less
in
well
the
southern
defined
one
half
ofR3 T18Nr
and 4W,anda
running
through
the
southern
o f electrical logs along
a
half of T17Nl -R4W. Correlation
northeasterly-trending line from
T16Nr R5Wlto Tl9N, R3W,further
substantiates
these two .bench level changes (plate
in pocket). Interestingly, in sec. 3 4 T17N, R4W,along the
upper
contact
southern
of
a thick
edge
Point
Lookout
section
where
the
of
a stepwise rise occurs,
a placer-like deposit
o r black sandstone deposit is exposed (Figure
15).
This black
sandstone
parallel
deposit
trends
approximately
ancient shoreline (Gill and Cobban,
1969).
N50°W,
to
the
Houston and Murphy
(1977) suggest that "black sandstone" concentrations are
evidence
of
temporary
shoreline
stillstands
during
regression.
of sand and
Thus it would appear that the increased thickness
the presence of black sandstone deposits in the Point Lookout
do
represent
temporary
of the
stillstands
shoreline
before
further regression.
The Point Lookout stratigraphic stepwise rises record
shoreline orientation and stillstand conditions, the criteria
previously citedf o r locating major coal deposits. Comparison of
an
of total
map
isopach
coal
thickness
in
the
Cleary
Member
within 250 ft above the top of the Point Lookout, (Figure
6)
with the isopach map fox the Point Lookout (Figure
4 , p. 111
shows
and
the
major
parallel
to
accumulations
of coal are found landward (south)
the
benches
of the
Point
Lookout,as
would
be expected. One northwest-trending accumulation of coal
occurs in the southern part of T18N, R4W,and extends into
35
-
T h e" b l a c k "s a n d s t o n ed e p o s i t
is v i s i b l e
as a d a r k l e d g e i n t h e m i d d l e
o f t h e h i l l a t t h et o p
o f t h ev u g g y - w e a t h e r i n g w h i t e P o i n tL o o k o u tS a n d s t o n e .
The c o v e r e ds l o p ea b o v e
t h e " b l a c k "s a n d s t o n e
is c o a l b e a r i n gl o w e rl d e n e f e eF o r m a t i o n .
PICURE 1 5
Figure 16. ISOPACHOUS MAP OF TOTAL COAL IN THE CLEARY MEMBER OF THE MENEFEE FORMATION
Ifor beds e t least 1 thick; contour interval 6 ft.)
ft.
I
31
the northwest corner of T17N, R3W.
A second concentration
of coal
Cliff
occurs in
T16W, R4 and 5W.
House
Stratigraphy
As demonstrated
coals of the
with
Menefee
and
Upper
the
Cleary
Formation
are
Member
Menefee
coals,
also
the
Coals
upper
associated
member
with
thick
sand buildups relatedto shoreline stillstands. The upper
member
coals
in'the
Torreon
Wash
area
are
related
to
the
very
thick La Ventana sand buildup to the northeast. Mannhard (1976)
has
shown
this
sand
body
resulted a from
delicate
balance
between sediment supply and subsidence. This depositional
condition
delta
caused
front
numerous
sands
to
constructional
and
destructional
be stacked vertically
a thick
as pile
(Figure 17).
Shomaker and Whyte (1977) discovered that
considerable
tonnages
tongues
enclosed
of
within
coal
the
La
occur
in
Ventana
upper
in
member
the
Menefee
subsurface
of these coalacross the San Juan Basin. Surface exposures
bearing tongues occur .in the northeastern part of the study
area. The upper member coals in the Torreon Wash area are
up to 13 ft thick, but usually average
2 ft thick or less.
These
coals
south
and
generally
west
across
thin
the
and
become
northern
less
township
numerous
to
the
tier,eventually
giving way to brown humic shales. Conversely,these coals
thicken
and
become
more
numerous
to
the
north
and
east.
5 ft thick and
Dane (1936) reports beds commonly reaching
several instances of prospects in beds 6-,7-,and 9-ft thick
in T18N,R2W, and T19N, R1 and 2W.
38
sw
K1
NE
'FIpura If.
GENERAL STRATIQRAPHIC CROSS SECTION OF THE
LA VENTANA TONQUE AND ADJACENT U N I T S
(modlflsd from Mannhard, 1376)
39
Only
the
thin
Cliff
coals
occur
below
Sandstone
on Chacra
House
or
interstratified
Mesa
with
in
T18N, R4W.
However, it has been recognized by (1936)
Dane and Shomaker
and others (1971) that the Cliff House represents
a sand
buildup
similarto the
La
Ventana
deltaic
buildup,but
shifted slightly to the southwest. The Cliff House
Sandstone,
shale,
which
probably
grades
also
rapidly
northeastward
into
marine
graded southwestward to continental
deposits which have since been removed by erosion. Were
these
nonmarine
upper
member
southwest of the
Cliff
House
contain
rocks
buildup,they
of coal
deposits
economic
still
similar
present
to
undoubtedly
to
those
the
would
behind
the La Ventana (Beaumont and Shomaker, 1974).
General
Several
Menefee
lines
Foxmation
Environment
of
of
evidence
the
point
Menefee
to
depositeda deltaic
in
was
the
fact
that
the
environment
rather than ina lagoonal environment. The sandstone units
enclosing
the
Menefee
all
appear
to
be
deltaic
or
delta-
related. The thick tongues of the transgressive Cliff House
Sandstone
which
overlie
and
intertongue
with
the
Menefee
1977;
show definite deltaic features (Beaumont and others,
Mannhard, 1976).
overlain
by
the
The Point. Lookout
The Point Lookout Sandstone which is
Menefee
also
to have
appears
deltaic
affinities.
consistsof a surprisingly thick(as much
as 250 ft) regressive marine sandstone deposit. The
to fine sands which make
immature, silty, clayey, very fine
up the
Point
Lookout
are
40
typical
of the
material
delivered
by fluvio-deltaic distributaries to a delta front. The
sands
of
the
Point
Lookout
often
contain
thinlinterlaminatea,
carbonaceous debris and clay clasts,unlike typical, clean,
wave-winnowed beach sands. The marine invertebrate fossils
found in the
mixed
Point
faunal
Lookout
assemblages
are
commonly
which
appear
accumulations
to
be
storm
of
deposits
rather thana record of living communities (Shetiwy,
1978).
Finally, the direct superposition of fresh-water coal swamp
deposits
on
the
Point
Lookout
and
the
lack
of
any
recognized
lagoonal deposits and an associated brackish-water faunal
assemblage
makes
it
a simple,barrier-beach
difficult
to
depositional
fit
the
Point
Lookout
into
model.
The sediments of the Menefee Formation themselves show
the
characteristicsof deltaic and fluvial plain deposits
rather than those of lagoonal deposits (Beaumont and others,
1976; Siemers, 1978). A s previously mentioned, no brackishwater invertebrates occur in the Menefee which is associated
with the bounding marine sandstones; The close association
of
Menefee
coals
with
fluvial
channel
sandstones
offers
evidence that they were deposited ain
fresh-water system.
The
coals
amber
also
which
accumulation
swampsfand
have
suggests
of
not
common leaf impressions and
of bits
that
they
or woody
tree
from
the
formed
mainly
from
vegetation
in
fresh-water
accumulation
of
reeds
the
in
brackish marshes. A pollen study done on
a coal sample
taken
from
the
lowest
Menefee
coal
a locality
at
near
Farmington, N.M.,showed that7 0 % of the pollen came from
41
more
trees,while the remaining
3 0 % came fxom ferns (Tschudy,
1976).
This pollen distribution is what would be expected
in a tree-dominated,fresh-water swamp. The low sulfur
content
of
the
Menefee
coals
is
another
indication
of
their
accumulation in a fresh-water system. The organic-rich
sediments
associated
nodules. Mannhard
are
good
with the coals commonly contain
iron-rich
(1976) reports these sideritic nodules
indicators
of reducing conditions typically caused
by anaerobic,bacterial
decay
of
vegetative
debris
in
poorly
drained,nonmarine,organic-rich sediments.
The
setting
normal
is
succession
from
in a deltaic
environments
of
drained,lower-delta-plain sediments
poorly
to well-drained,fluvial
sediments
of
the
upper-delta-plain
or fluvial plain. This transition is preserved in the Menefee
when going from the Cleary Member to the Allison Memher. The
Allison
Member
is
composed
of
channel
sandstone
bodies
and
organic-poor overbank mudstones and shales. The channel sand
bodies are characterized by strong,unidirectionaL transport
features
as
shown
in
the
well-developed
stratification in these units (Figure
18).
of 279 trough
axis
measurements
from
the
readings
is
fairly
low
cross-
Statistical analysis
the
closely grouped,northeast-trending transport
a consistency ratio of over
77%.
trough
Menefee ashows
direction
with
The angular dispersion of
at
38",and
probably
reflects
meandering of the Menefee channels. Mannhard (1976)
calculated
stream
parameters
for
three
Menefee
channels
based on their physical sedimentary characteristics and
42
A4W
R5W
R3W
N 21.4OE = mean orientation
78.6'/0= consistency ratio
(unit vector 1: 2 cm)
N 21.4OE
.I-
N 243OE
i"---T 16N
a. Trough
axis
measurements by
township
N
b. Rose diagram of 279 trough
axis
measurements
(data group in IOo sectors)
Rgure. 18.
MENEFEE TROUGH AXIS
43
PALEOCURRENT DATA
determined
that
the
streams which formed the channel
deposits had irregular meanders along
a low
stream
gradient
(27m/km or less). These streams generally carried suspended
loads and some mixed loads. The overbank mudstones and
shales
tan,
associated
and
yellow
reflecting
of
the
and
the
channel
contain
very
well-drained,oxidizing
upper
The
with
upper
delta
deposits
little
are
light
organic
depositional
gray,
matter,
conditions
plain.
member
of
the
Menefee
reflects
a reversal
from upper-delta-plain/fluvial-plain deposits
back
to
lower-
delta-plain deposits. The organic-rich, coal-bearing
sediments
since
of
they
the
upper
intertongue
From a systematic
Menefee.are
with
study
the
of
definitely
deltaic
data
from
La
deltaic
Ventana
measured
sandstones.
sections
through the Menefee, Siemers (1978) was able to develop
model Menefee depositional sequences. From his modelling
he
found
that
Menefee
deposits
do
not
represent
nearshore
marine or lagoonal deposits. The Menefee deposits instead
reflect
continental-fluvial-plain
to
delta-plain
sedimentation.
COAL GEOLOGY
Description of Surface Exposures
T16N, R4W
--
TheMancos
i n t h e c e n t r a l and
S ha le cr ops out
eastern p a r t s of t h i s township.
The Hostaand
Point
mesas i n t h e e a s t e r n h a l f o f
LookoutSandstonescapthe
t h i s township.
The Cleary Member o f t h e
i n t h elow-lyingarea
Menefee Formation crops out
i n s e c t i o n s 4-8,
and 30.
17-20,
Exposures of t h e coaL beds i n t h e C l e a r y are good
i n thickness
t h r o u g h o u tt h i sa r e a .T h e s ec o a l sr a n g e
from 1 f t t o 4 f t , w i t h
f a u l t s roughlyspaced
anaverageof
2.5 f t .
1/3 mile a p a r t s p l a y
Parallel
from t h e s o u t h ,
i n s e c t i o n s 29, 2 8 , and 31-34
d i s r u p t i n gt h i sa r e a .C o a l
ofthistownship
occurs on t h e s t e e p s l o p e s
Th e s e sl opes are
formed by the Clear y and Allision
of the
of Mesa Chivato.
Members
Menefee Formation and a t h i c k b a s a l t i c f l o w
t o p .Vol canicdebri s
from theE lowcappingthe
mesa covers
much ' o f t h e s e s l o p e s , l e a v i n g p o o r t o f a i r e x p o s u r e s
t h eCl earycoalbeds.C ont inuity
w i t h an average t hickness
T16N, R5W
--
Thistownshiphas
exposed.
These
beds
of 2.8 f t .
of thesebeds
of
is fair,
of 2 f t .
Member t h r o u g h o u t .I ns e c t i o n s
well
a t the
good exposuresoftheCleary
1 - 1 2 t h ec o a lb e d s
are
show an
aver age
thickness
Sections 13-20 a r eu n d e r l a i nb yc o a lw i t ho n l y
a few o u t c r o p s e x p o s i n g t h e c o a l b e d s f o r s h o r t d i s t a n c e s .
The u p p e r p o r t i o n o f t h e C l e a r y
45
Member i s exposed i n
sections 21-25.
Exposures of the barren Allison Member
of the
Formation
Menefee
outcrop
along
the
highest
Point
Lookout
26-36.
slopes in sections
T17N, R3W
-- A
north-facing
Sandstone
crosses
Coals
the
of
dip
slope
of the
the southern part
of this township.
Member out
cropin a roughly
Cleary
east-west
belt to the north of this. Two coal zones are traceable
across
the
township
approximately
70 ft above
Oand
the
Point Lookout Sandstone. The lower of these zones contains
good
coal
beds
that
are
persistent
buta high
show
degree
of lenticularity. The lower coals average2.5 ft in
2 ft in
thickness. The higher zone has beds averaging
thickness. The northern two thirds of this township are
covered by the Allison Member: no coals occur there.
T17N, R4W
-- No
coals
exist
in
the
Allison
Member
which
crops out in most of this township. This member
consists of thick-bedded, light-colored sandstones
and interbedded siltstones and shales forming north-dipping
cuestas and mesas. The massive basal sand sequence creates
a rugged
terrain
in the southern part of the township.
The sou'theastern quarter
of this township has good to
excellent coal exposuresof the Cleary Member. In
sections 22-27 and 34-36 the coal beds are continuous,with
a variation in thickness from
1.5 ft to 3.5 ft. Three
separate beds outcrop in these sections.
A small amount
46
sec. 27 and 3 4 .
o fb u rnedcoaloccursin
I n sec. 34 t h e
T o c h i a s c o a l mine operated on two 2 - f t beds from 1933 t o
1935.
of t h i s township has
The n o r t h e r n h a l f
exceptinsections
no coal exposur es
3 and 4 . I n these two s e c t i o n s t h e upper
unnamed member o f t h e
Meneiee Formation begins
to outcrop.
The coals are continuous w i t h an aver age thickness
T18N, R3W
--
The L a Ventanasandstone,
of 1.7 f t .
C l i f f House Sandstone,
and t h e L e w i s S h a l e c r o p o u t i n t h e n o r t h e r n h a l f o f t h i s
these u n i t s i s d i f f i c u l t
t o wn s hi p.Tracingandcorrelating
becauseof
the l e n t i c u l a r i t y of t h e sandstonesand
the
p r e s e n c eo ff a u l t s .
Good exposures of si x coal
beds of the upper
unnamed
member of t h e Menefee F o r m a t i o n o c c u r i n t h e s o u t h e r n h a l f
of t h i s township.
s o u t h e rn hal f
The beds a r ec o n t i n u o u st h r o u g h o u tt h e
of t he township and r ange in thickness f r om
1.3 f t t o 3 . 6 f t .
Some b u r n e dc o a l o c c u r s i ns e c t i o n s
19
and 30.
T18N, R4W
--
Shale, and
Exposures of t h e La Ventanasandstone,
Lewis
C l i f f House Sandstone cover the nor ther n half
o ft h i st o w n s h i p .
They form a series of gentlynor th-
d i p p i ng mesas.
The upper unnamed member o f t h e
Menefee Formation occurs
i n t h e s o u t h e r nh a l fo ft h i st o w n s h i p .C o a l, o c c u r s
h o ri z ons w i t h i n t h i s u n i t i n
T18N, R4W.
i n four
P e r s i s t e n tb u r n e d
coal horizons mask much of t h e o u t c r o p s i n t h i s area,making
47
coal thicknesses unobtainable. Good exposures of coal
are found in the southern part of this township. Here
coal beds range in thickness from 1.2 ft to 1.9 ft and
are quite continuous.
Coal Analyses
The analyses given in this report are from core samples
and drill cuttings. Moisture ranges from 4.64 to 13.66 percent
with 11.74 percent being the average. The rank of the coal
based on heating value is sub-bituminous C to sub-bituminous B.
The range of heating value for these coals is 7,405 to
11,828 BTU per pound, with an average near 10,360 BTU per pound.
The ash content is present as discrete partings or material
intimately mingled with the coal itself. The samples contain
3.2 to 33.8 percent ash, averaging 14.6 percent. Sulfur content
ranges between 0.42 and 2.47 percent and averages about 0.8.
Volatile matter ranges between 28.7 and 38.2 percent and
averages 34.7; fixed carbon ranges between 30.6 and 48.2 percent
with the average of 41.0 percent. Table 2 lists the analyses
of samples from the drilling program for this study.
Coal Prospects and Mines
One small prospect occurs in the study area in NW-l/4, NW-1/4
sec. 34, T17N, R4W. This prospect was operated by Mr, Rudolf
Tochias from 1933 to 1935 under federal Coal prospecting
permit #SF-065988. U.S.G.S. Conservation Division records
show that Mr. Tochias sold 88 tons of coal from the prospect.
48
COAL
ANALYSES*
Proximate
Ultimate
m
m
3
&
ds4
5'
a
m
4
8
sW
,
.
-A IU
$3
d m
gz
c
El
%g
Y
&I
6
.E2 :
:
m
0
d
1
0
m
11.98
0.65
C1-4649i-5455
11.31
8.09
38.25
42.35
4.53
61.99
1.45
Cl-5760+6061
11.46
16.00
34.61
37.93
3.76
55.56
1.16
9.59
2.47
Cl-6769
10.42
24.42
32.23
32.93
3.52
49.41
1.09
8.96
cl-154158
11.I2
6.21
36.81
45.86
4.44
65.17
1.36
Cl-158164
13.66
3.17
36.63
46.54
4.32
66.75
'21-164168
12.27
4.90
36.52
46.31
3.75
C2-117118+119121
11.35
16.49
35.34
36.82
C3-221-224
6.72
8 $8
-
36.38
C4-171-175
9.55
9.84
C5-1418
7.52
c5-9799
8.09
11,030
16.00
9,858
24.42
8,596
110
..
25
00
6.21
11,357
1.41
10.25
0.44
3.17
11,542
65.68
1.39
11.58
0.43
4.90
11,423
4.04
57.22
1.35
8.81
0.74
16.49
9,783
48.22
4.66
67.43
1.33
10.49
0.69
8.68
11,828
35.03
45.58
4.44
64.63
1.36
9.75
0.43
9.84
31.33
29.38
31.77
3.71
44.58
1.04
20.15
0.42
11,270
31-33. 7,405
6.90
33.80
28.71
30.59
4.09
46.63
1.06
14.51
0.47
33.80
"8,244
C5-123127
7.89
11.46
35.17
45.48
5.26
63.81
1.13
17.70
0.64
11.46
11,412
E3338085
4.64
15.91
..
36.55
42.90
4.91
62.44
1.32
14.75
Oi78
15.91
10,927
m
AS
received
e number:
.
.
Cl = core hole #1
R33 = rotary hole #33
4951 = sample from 49' to 51'
(for location of drill holes see appendix 2)
'
2.18
.,
The
underground
workings
consist
of
two
parallel
tunnels
with a crosscut joining the two (Figure 19). Both tunnels
no attempt was made to enter them. The
are badly caved and
surface
in poor repair
are
works
and
therefore
explored. An inspection report of the
U.S.G.S.
made
in
1935
states
that
the
prospect
were
not
Mining Division
workings
were
dry
and
T16N, RSW,and the western third of T16N, R4W,of the study
area
in
were
recently
response
nominated
to
a BLM
request
by
for
Arizona
company
Public
Service
Co.
nominations
of
tracts of interest €or leasing. This request was to
made
assess the suitability and impact of leasing federal coal
lands
in
leasing
In
preparation
€or the establishment
a federal
of
coal
policy.
January,
1978,a
permit to surface mine coal two
1 / 2 sec. 16,
east of the study area in N -the
T17N,
granted
Mining
by
the
New
Mexico
Coal
Surface
miles
R2W,was
Commission
to
Mr. Albert J. Firchau of Seattle, Washington. The proposed
Arroyo
the
#1
mine
Menefee
will
extract
Formation,or
first
coal
from
coal
the
interval
of Member
Cleary
overlying
the
Point Lookout Sandstone. The mine plan calls for an annual
production of200,000 tons for six years.
West of the stuay area,in T16W, R6W, the Santa Fe
Railroad
conducted
an
exploration
drilling
program
in
1972-73
to test reserves on their holdings. The coal interval drilled
No plans for the development
was the lower Meneeee Formation.
of this
coal
have
been
announced.
50
flat.
R o o f shale
C o o l 24"
Bony C O O I I "
Shale 20,5"
Cool 22"
Floor s h a l e
Cool Mine M a p - 1 9 3 5
FIGURE 19
-
Coal S e c t i o n M i n e d
Photograph and mine map of t h e T o c h i a s
p r o s p e c t along w i t h an i l l u s t r a t i o n of t h e c o a l
sectionmined.
51
Coal Resources
The c o a l r e s o u r c e s c a l c u l a t e d f o r
based on f i e l d measurementof
i n fo rm a tion.
t h e Torreon area
are
coal outcrops and drill hole
A l l r e s o u r c e s are c a l c u l a t e df o rc o a lb e d s
1 4 i n ( 1 . 2 f t ) or g r e a t e ri nt h i c k n e s s .
An acre-footof
c o a l was assumed t o weigh 1 7 7 0 tons.Guidelinesmodified
from t hose, s e t f o r t h i n U.S.G.S.
nomeasuredresources
B u l l e t i n 1450-B ar e used;
axe i d e n t i f i e d .
Due t o t h e extreme
is
lenticularity of the coal beds, the data-point spacing
insufficient for precise quantitative determination of
measuredresources.
The r e s o u r c e sc a l c u l a t e df a l li n t o
two classes, i n d i c a t e d and i n f e r r e d .
Indicated resources are based
on t h e f o l l o w i n g
criteria:
The p o i n t s o f o b s e r v a t i o n a r e
1 / 2 m i (0.8 km) t o
1-1/2 m i ( 2 . 4 km) a p a r t o r c l o s e r .I n d i c a t e d
resourcesareprojectedtoextend
as a 1/2 m i
(0.8 k m ) wide b e l t from t h e o u t c r o p or i n a 1/4 m i
radi us around a d r i l l h o l e .
Inferred resources
are based on the f ollowing
criteria:
The p o i n t s o f o b s e r v a t i o n
are 1-1/2 m i ( 2 . 4 km) t o
' 6 m i ( 9 . 6 km) a p a r t .I n f e r r e dr e s o u r c e sa r ep r o j e c t e d
t o extend as a 2 - i / 4 m i (3.6 km) wide b e l t t h a t lies
more than 1 / 2 m i ( 0 . 8 km) from .the o u t c r o p o r 1./4 m i
from a d r i l l h o l e .
The resources are f u r t h e r d i v i d e d i n t o
g o ri es :shal low,those
from 0 f t t o 250 f t ; anddeep,those
from 250 f t t o 3000 f t (no coal deeper than
i n study area).
two depth cate-
Usingthese
3000 f t occur s
c r i t e r i a , t h es t u d ya r e ac o n t a i n s
1 1 7 , 0 2 7 , 6 9 2 t o n s of indicatedresourcesand389,566,363tons
i n f e r r e dr e s o u r c e sw i t h i n
250 f t of t h e surface.
0f
The shallow
r e s o u r c e s are l i s t e d by s e c t i o n and township i n T a b l e 5 on t h e
52
following pages.
The 250-3000 foot class contains 200,955,000
tons of indicated resources and 712,477,000 tons of inferred
resources.
53
Table 3
T.16 N . ,
Sec.
-
S h a l l o w Indicated Resources
R.4 W.
Tons
Sec.
Tons
1
0
19
1,470,836
2
0
20
230,602
19,505
3
1,797,683
21
4
1,219,043
22
0
5
1,997,171
23
0
6
1,819,304
24
0
7
249 ,498
25
0
8
0
26
0
9
0
27
76,393
10
0
28
780,305
11
0
29
910,219
12
0
30
1,180,135
13
0
31
0
14
0
32
0
15
0
33
0
16
0
34
3,845,675
17
1,061,211
35
0
18
605,988
36
0
T o t a1l7 , 2 3 6 , 5 6 8
54
tons
-
Table 3
T.16 N.,
Sec
.
Shallow Indicated Resources
R.5 W.
Tons
Sec
.
Tons
1
1,565,265
19
1,397,
2
1,815,244
20
1,300,313
3
1,243,422
21
2,113,009
4
1,917,972
22
1,343,430
836
5
0
23
598,970
6
0
24
143,009
7
0
25
292,570
8
915,696
26
449,421
9
1,292,192
27
1,412,465
10
219,428
28
0
11
5,284,038
29
0
12
889,078
30
0
13
1,170,282
31
0
14
1,976,653
32
lr183,r28S
15
1,914,839
33
0
16
1,599,488
34
0
17
.1,759,575
35
0
18
617,649
36
0
Total
34,415,129 tons
55
Table 3
T.17 N.,
Sec.
-
Shallow Indicated Resources
R., 3 w.
Tons
Sec.
Tons
1
0
19
0
2
0
20
24,381
3
0
21
195,047
4
0
22
1,344,225
5.
0
23
1,111,768
6
0
24
2,015,435
7
0
25
0
8
0
26
113,776
9
0
27
2,045,572
10
0
28
832,343
11
0
29
1,547,263
12
0
30
162,486
13
715,172
31
3,445,689
14
71,517
32
1,472,386.
15
0
33
637,168
16
0
34
165,789
214,552
35
195,047
97,523
36
48,762
17 .
18
T o t a1l 7 , 8 0 4 , 9 0 5
56
tons
Table 3
T.17 N.,
Sec
.
-,
Shallow Indicated Resources
R.4 W.
Tons
See.
Tons
1
'0
19
0
2
0
20
0
3
0
21
0
4
0
22
0
5
0
23
1,887,079
6
0
24
1,048,
7
0
25
731,578
8
0
26
580,265
9
0
27
2,629,694
10
0
28
0
11
0
29
0
12
0
30
0
13
0
31
0
14
0
32
0
15.
0
33
0
16
0
34
0
17
0
35
1,799,028
36
4,021,286
18
' 0
Total
12,812,698 tons
57
337
Table 3
T.18 N., R.3
Sec
.
-
Shallow Indicated
Resources
W.
Tons
Sec.
Tons
L
0
19
4,557,154
2
534,246
20
6,712,769
3
0
21
5,639,908
22
47,'121
4
1,782,936
5
0
23
432,354
6
0
24
58,495
7
0
25
250,310
8
0
26
0
9
0
27
357,586
10
0
28
1,078,220
29
1,062,995
30
105,645
31
29 ,247
11
12
13
1,177,209
19,498,
0
14
1,441,789
32
19,505
15
1,084,136
33
38,996
16
0
34
0
17
0
35
0
36
175,542
18
2,145,537
Total
28,751,198 t o n s
58
Table 3
- Shallow Indicated Resources
T.18 N.? R.4 W.
Sec
.
Tons
Sec.
Tons
1
'0
19
0
2
0
20
19 ,505
3
0
21
434,856
4
0
22
591,143
5
0
23
65,016
6
0
24
0
7
260,063
25
0
8
0
26
117,028
9
0
27
928,226
10
0
28
929 101
11
0
29
377,606
12
0
30
0
13
0
31
0
14
0
32
755,211
15.
24,381
33
0
16
0
34
0
17
232,090
35
414,475
18
574,050
36
284,443
Total
6,007,194 tons
59
CoalandSurfaceOwnership
The ownership p a t t e r n o f
t h e s u r f a c e and c o a l r i g h t s
in
t h e s t u d y area shows t h e f e d e r a l government is the predominant
owner i n both cases.
o ft h ec o a l
71.5% of t h e s u r f a c e r i g h t s
r i g h t s a r ef e d e r a l l y
owned.
and 86.3%
The remaining
s u r f a c e and c o a l r i g h t s are d i v i d e d between s t a t e , p r i v a t e ,
and Indian ownership.
Tables 4 and 5 show t h e e x a c t
f o r surface and c o a l o w n e r s h i p r e s p e c t i v e l y f o r
as well as f o r t h e s t u d y
area a s awhole.
l e a s e se x i s tw i t h i nt h eT o r r e o n
i n Appendix T)
breakdown
each township,
No known c o a l
Wash a r e a .
(See ownership maps
.
Table 4
Percent OwnershipofSurface
Township
Federal
by Township
T16N R4W T16N R 5 W T17W R 3 W TlTW R4W T18W R3W T18W R4W
86.5%
state
5.6%
Frivate
7
Indian
0.7%
87.5%
0
84
%40.5%
66.0%
66.0%
10.8%
%4.2% 12.5%
1.4%
0
TolcAL SPUDY AREA: 71.5%
5.4%
8.3%
10.4%
13.9%
15.3%
17.3%
-- Federal
-- State
--
8.0% P r i v a t e
15.1% -- Indian
60
2.8%
5.6%
0
56.1%
Table 5
Percent Ownership ofCoalbyTownship
lbmship
T16N R4W T16W R5W T17W R3W Tl?W.R4W T18W R34 TlEW R4W
Federal
72%
State
11%
Private
16%
Irdian
0.7%
77%
89.2%
89.5%
97.2%
6%
10.8%
4.9%
2.8%
4.2%
17%
0
5.6%
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.8%
!Kim., SNDY AREA:
86.3%
6.6%
6.4%
0.6%
- Federal
-- S t a t e
-- Private
-- Indian
Bureau of Land Management,
It should be noted that the
Departmentof
93%
t h e I n t e r i o r , is i n t h e p r o c e s s
of exchanging
approximately 6 , 0 8 0 a c r e s o r 4 . 4 % of t h e s u r f a c e r i g h t s
thestudyarea.Thisexchange
of
program is t o a d j u s t Navajo
Indianlandmatters,particularlyunauthorizedoccupancyin
areas o u t s i d e and i n t h e v i c i n i t y of t h e Navajo Indian
Reservation.
Land i n v o l v e di nt h ee x c h a n g ef a l l si n
R4WI and T18N, ' R 3
thesurfacerights
The exchange w i l l involveonly
and 4w.
t o theland;mineralrights
r e t a i n e d by t h e p r e s e n t
owner.
exchange w i l l becompleted
T17Nt
I t i s e x p e c t e dt h a tt h e
by e a r l y 1 9 7 9 .
of t h e l a n d i n v o l v e d i n t h e e x c h a n g e f o l l o w s :
61
w i l l be
A l e g a ld e s c r i p t i o n
New
TlBN, R3W
sec. 4,
sec. 5,
sec. 7 ,
sec. 8,
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
T17N,
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
sec.
Mexico
Principal
Meridian,
lots 3 , 4, and S%NW%;
SW%;
E%;
NE%, NW%,N%, SW%,
N%SW%, SW%, SW%, SW%, SW%,
E%SE", sw", Sw%, and SW%;
16, NE% and SW%;
18, lots 3 , 4, EliSWk, and SE%;
20, SW%;
21, NW%;
28, W%;
29, SE%.
R4W
2, SW% and SE%;
3 , SW%;
5, lots 3 , 4,
7, SE%;
and S%NW%;
11, NW%;
18, SE%;
19, NE%;
20, W%.
T18N, R4W
sec. 7, lots 1, 2, E%NW%, and SE%;
sec. 15, NE%;
see. 19, SE%;
sec. 20, NE%;
sec. 24, SE%;
sec. 27, Nk;
sec. 29, N%;
sec. 3 5 , SE%.
62
New
Mexico
References Cited
Beaumont, E.C.,
Dane, C.H.,
andSears,
J.D.,
1956,Revised
Group i n San Juan Basin:
nomenclatureofMesaverde
American Association of Petroleum Geologists,
V.
Bull.,
40, p. 2149-2162
Beaumont, E.C.,
andShomaker,
J.W.,
1974, Upper Cretaceous
San
coal i n t h e Cuba-La Ventana-Torreon a r e a , e a s t e r n
Juan Basin, New Mexico:
New Mexico GeologicaiSociety,
Guidebook 2 5 t hf i e l dc o n € . ,
Beaumont, E.C.,
and Stone, W . J . ,
coal geologyofnorthwest
p . 329-345
eds.,
New Mexico:
of Mines andMineralResources,
Dane, C.H.,
1 9 7 6 , Guidebook to
New Mexico Bureau
Circ. 154, 58 p.
1936, The La Ventana-Chacra Mesa c o a l f i e l d :
U . S . GeologicalSurvey,
B u l l . 860-C, p. 81-161
1885, Mount T aylorandthe
Dutton, C.E.,
Zuni Plateau: . U.S.
GeologicalSurvey,6thAnnualRept.,
Fassett, J . E . ,
andHinds,
J.S.,
1884-85, p. 105-198
1 9 7 1 , Geologyand
fuel
resources of the F ruitland For mation and Kir tland Shale
o ft h e
San JuanBasin,
New Mexico andColorado:
GeologicalSurvey,Prof.Paper
Fassett, J.E.r
6 7 6 , 76 p.
1 9 7 7 , Geology of t h e P o i n t
House and Pictured C l i f f s S a n d s t o n e
So c iety, Guidebook 2 8 t hf i e l dc o n f . ,
1909, The c o a l f i e l d
Raton Springs,
Lookout, C l i f f
of t h e San Juan
New Mexico Geological
Basin, New Mexico andColorado:
Gardner, J . H . ,
U.S.
p.193-197
betweenGallinaand
New Mexicor i n C o a l f i e l d s of Colorado,
I
63
N e w Mexico, Utah,Oregon,and
Survey,Bull.
, 1910,
””
Virginia:
341-C; p. 335-351
The c o a l f i e l d between San Mateo and Cuba, New
-
Mexico, i n C o a l f i e l d s i n C o l o r a d o a n d
GeoiogicalSurvey,Bull.
andCobban,
G i l l , J.R.,
U.S. Geological
New Mexico:
U.S.
381-C, p. 461-473
1 9 6 9 , Paleogeographic map of
W.A.,
t h e T e l e g r a p h Creek, E a g l e , C l a g g e t t , J u d i t h R i v e r ,
Fox H i l l s times of Late Cretaceous Epoch
Bearpaw,and
i n t h e w e s t e r ni n t e r i o rr e g i o n :
U.S. GeologicalSurvey,
Open-file Map, 6 s h e e t s
andP ri tchar d,
Bollenshead, C.T.,
R.L.,
1 9 6 1 , Geometry of
-
producing Mesaverde sandstones, San Juan Basin, i n
Geometry ofsandstonebodies,Peterson,
J.C.,
eds.:
American AssociationofPetroleumGeologists,
Sumposium vol.,
Houston, R.S.,
p. 98-118
and Murphy, J.F.,
1 9 7 7 , Depositionalenvironment
Western
o f upper C retaceous bl ack sandstones of the
Interior:
and Osmond,
J.A.,
U.S.
GeologicalSurvey,
Prof. Paper 994-A,
p. 1-29
Hunt, C.B.,
1936, The Mount T a y l o rc o a l
Survey,Bull.
Mannhard, G.W.,
field:
860-B, p. 31-80
1 9 7 6 , Stratigraphy,sedimentologyand
paleoenvironments of
t h e La Ventana Tongue ( C l i f f House
Sandstone)andadjacentformations
of t h e Mesaverde
Group (Upper C r e t a c e o u s ) ,s o u t h e a s t e r n
New Mexico:
U.S. Geological
Ph.D. t h e s i s , U n i v e r s i t y
182p.
64
SanJuanBasin,
of New Mexico,
Pike, W.S.,
Jr., 1947, Intertonguing marine and nonmarine
Upper Cretaceous deposits
of New
Mexico,
Arizona,
and
southwestern Colorado: Geological Society of America,
Mem. 24, 103 p.
Sabins, F.F., Jr., 1964, Symmetry, stratigraphy, and
petrography
of'cyclic
Cretaceous
deposits
in
the
'San
Juan Basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists,
Bull., v. 48, no.
3, p. 292-316
Schrader, F.C., 1906, The Durango-Gallup coal field of Colorado
and New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey, Bull. 285-F,
p. 241-258
Sears, J.D., Hunt, C.B., and Hendricks, T.A., 1941,
Transgressive and regressive Cretaceous deposits in
southern San Juan Basin, New Mexico: U.S. Geological
'Survey, Prof. Paper 1.93, p. 101-121
Shetiwy, M.M.,
of
the
1978, Sedimentologic and stratigraphic analysis
Point
Lookout
Sandstone,
southeast
San
Juan
Basin,
New Mexico: Ph.D. thesis, New Mexico Instituteof
Mining and Technology, 262
p.
Siemers, C.T., and Wadell, J.S., 1977, Humate deposits
of the
Menefee Formation (Upper Cretaceous), northwestern New
Mexico: New Mexico Geological Society, Guidebook
supplement 28th field conf.,
p. 1-21
,
"
"
1978,
Generation
of
a simplified
working
depositional
model for repetitive coal-bearing sequence using field
data: an example from the Upper Cretaceous Menefee
Formation (Mesaverde Group), northwestern New Mexico,
in
Proceedings
of
the
65
Second
Symposium
on
the
Geology
of Rocky MountainCoal,1977,
ColoradoGeologicalSurvey,
Shomaker, J . W . ,
Beaumont, E.C.,
Hodgson, H.E.,
ed.:
Resource Series 4 , p. 1-22
and Xottlowski, F.E.,
eds.,
1 9 7 1 , S t r i p p a b l el o w - s u l f u rc o a lr e s o u r c e so ft h e
New Mexico andColorado:
New Mexico
Bureau of Mines and MineralResources,
Mem. 25,189p.
J u anB asi nin
andStone,
Shomaker, J . W . ,
1 9 7 6 , A v a i l a b i l i t y of ground
W.J.,
water f o r c o a l d e v e l o p m e n t i n
San Juan Basin,
New Mexico Bureau of Minesand
Circ. 154,p.
of Mines andMineral
Tschudy, R.H.,
Mineral Resources,
1 9 7 7 , G e o l o g i ca p p r a i s a l
M.R.,
San JuanBasin,
d e e pc o a l s ,
New Mexico:
of
New Mexico Bureau
Resources, C i r c . 155, 39 p.
1 9 7 6 , Palynology of Crevasse Canyon andMenefee
Formationof
San JuanBasin,
New Mexico:
Bureau of Mines andMineralResources,
BureauofMinesand
U.S.
Survey,Bull.
GeologicalSurvey:
1450-B, 7 p.
66
New Mexico
Circ.
U.S. GeologicalSurvey,
resourceclassificationsystem
Minesand
N e w Mexico:
43-48
andWhite,
Shomaker, J . W . ,
U.S.
San
of t h e U.S.
154, p. 48-55
1 9 7 6 , Coal
Bureauof
U.S. Geological
APPENDIX I
Coal and Surface Ownership Maps
OWNERSHIP INDEX
SURFACE
OWNERSHIP
PRIVATE
FEDERAL
COAL OWNERSHIP
I
_
INDIAN
0
FEDERAL
68
SURFACE OWNPASHEP
..
69
. . .., . .
. . .
..
..
71
73
-
i ................ii......
"
I
j
-+" 6 -1!
1-.......
j....
j
;
i
...........!
i
i
...........>
i
...........j"................ i.......
/ '
i
i
<......
......... ................._.:
1
i
i
i
-13"4-
.........
...........
.....
19-
"
,
...................................
!
"
......... :................... ........
2
-"-3c+.""
3
j
NEW IIFXICO
~ U H E W OF #
A110
W H ~ R I LRLSIYRCLS
76
77
78
-7
...._.....
-
...........
-.
....
i
!
_.
i
!
......... !.............
!
i
"
"
"j
i.-.................j ............
i
i
"
....................
...
"
......._.!". ........................
....
j
...
....
-
I
"
j
......... ....
"
t!
...........
~
.........!
.....
.........ii-............_..,_:
..............
j
4:-.3,
.....
!!
.." -
""L
!
.....
i
.
hE5
AND w.NcQIL IIFSOURCEJ
79
80
APPENDIX I1
Coal D r i l l Hole S m a r y Sheets
Torreon P r o j e c t
L o c a t i o n of Drill Holes
D r i l l S i t e No.
Section
Township
.5
Range
GL ELEV.
6110
1 8 N.
w.
4 w.
4 w.
5 w.
5 w.
5 w.
5 w.
5 w.
3 w.
3 w.
3 w.
3 w.
3 w.
4 w.
4 w.
4 w.
3 w.
11
1 8 N.
3
w.
6730
20
1 8 N.
3
6530
R6 1
NW%SW%SE%SEC. 2 1
1 8 N.
3
R5 2
SE%NW%SW%SEC. 11
18 N.
4
c2
NW%SE%NE%SEC. 1 8
1 8 N.
4
R53
SE%NE%NE%SEC.
28
1 8 N.
4
. 32
1 8 N.
4
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
w.
c5
SE%NW%NW%SEC
R2 3
NW%SW%SW%SEC. 6
R2 1
SE%SE%SE% SEC.
18
1 6 N.
R2 4
SW%SE%NE%SEC.
2
1 6 N.
C6
NE%NE%NW%SEC
. 17
16 N.
R12
NW%NW%NE%SEC. 2 1
16 N .
R13
SW%NW%NW%SEC. 26
1 6 N.
R11
SE%NE%NW%SEC.
29
1 6 I?.
R4 3
NE%SW%NW~SEC. 4
R41
NW%SE%SW%SEC.
13
17 N.
R4 2
SW%SE%NW%SEC. 1 7
i 7 N.
c3
N W ~ S E % N E %SEC.
29
1 7 N.
R33
SW%SW%W?%SEC.
31
17 N .
R32
NEbNVlkSEb SEC. 2 3
17 N.
c4
NW%SE%NW% SEC.
27
1.7 N .
R 31
SW%SW%SW%SEC.
29
17 N.
R6 3
NW%NE%SW%SEC.
4
R6 2
SE%NW%NE%SEC.
c1
NWkNW%SW% SEC.
R5 1
'NE%NW%NE%SEC
82
1 6 N.
16 N.
17 N .
4
6230
6415
6305
6390
6510
66 30
6530
6465
6480
6235
6390
6 325
6170
6240
6280
6560
6650
6400
6620
6440
6460
WELL NAME
LOCATION NW,SW
C-1 TORREON
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
ELEVATION:
LOGS RUN h a lceo r e
Menefee
KB -GL
T 18N R
A
(above SL)
LOG INT'VKG
DATE DRILLED OR .Mw;cGD 9/28+29/78
FORMATION TOPS:
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
*46.7'(3.0'coal)
*TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
S 20
22.0'
83
WELL NAME C-2 TORREON
COUNTY
.
LOGS RUN core h o l e
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOCATION SE,NE S 18 T18N R4W
DATE DRILLED OR WtJGW- '10/14+15/78
Lewis
Shale
FORMATION
TOPS1
C l i f f House Ss.
Menefee Frntn.
70'
lo3*
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS;
117.1'(1.6'
coal)
119.8'(1.2'
coal)
TOTAL
COAL
THICKNESS
LOG INl"V&
2.8'
84
WELL NAUE C-3 TORRZON
LOCATION SW,NE S
COMPANY
N MBM&HK
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED ' I N
LOGS RUN
Menef ee
LOG INT ' VAL-
hcoolree
DATE DRILLED OR L0GG.D
a l l i n MenefeeFmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
36.0'(0.9'
coal)
63.0'(1.0'
coal)
*107.8'(1.2'
coal)
*112.6'(1.5'
coal)
*135.0'(1.3'
coal)
*221.3'(3.0'
coal)
COAL THICKNESS
7.0'
85
R%
KB 6790 GL (above SL)
FORMATION TOPS:
* TOTAL
x T~
-
8/78
WELL NAME C-4 TORREON
LOCATION SE,NW S 27 T 17N
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
ELEVATIONt
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN hole
core
KB 6240 GL (above SL)
LOG INT' VAL
DATE DRILLED OR "W 8/78
Menefee
FORMATION
TOPS;
a l l i n Menefee Fmtn.
. .
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS;
*103.3'(1.2'
coal)
*112.1'(1.9'
coal)
*151.6'(2.0'
coal)
156.7'(1.0'
R 4W
.
coal,)
*TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
9.1'
86
WFLL NAME C - 5 TORRSON
LOCATION
COMPANY
NLIBM&IMR
COUNTY
Sandoval
NW,NW
ELEVATION:
hole
core
LOGS RUN
Henefee
SPUDDED
IN
147.2s
P o i n t L o o k o u t Ss.
DEPTH(S) TO
COAL
14.6'(3.7'
AND THICKNESS:
coal)
23.0'(0.8'coal)
.
*
95.8'(0.9'
coal)
*
9 7 , 0 ' ( 2 . 0 'c o a l )
101.4'(0.8'
coal)
*125.7'(1.3' c o a l )
* TOTAL
COAL
A T 1 6 ~R 4K
KB 6110 GL (above SL)
LOG INT ' V&-
DATE DRILLED OR LQG"
PORMATION TOPS:
*
S
THICKNESS
7 9'
a7
5/78
WELL NAME
c-6 TORREON
LOCATION-
COMPANY
N%3M&MR
ELEVATION I
COUNTY
McKinley
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
S
;
,
i
V
139.5'
DEPTH( S) TO COAL AND THICKNESSI
*
coal)
59.3'(1.2'coal)
68.6'(0.7'
*119.6'(2.9'
coal.)
coal)
129.2'(1.1' 'coal)
*137.3'(2.2'
coal)
*TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
3'
88
S
LOG INT '
hole
core
FORMATION
TOPS:
Point Lookout Ss.
R
KB 6390 GL (above SL)
DATE DRILLED OR €S"
Menefee
57.1'(0.7'
x T_14K
'
'
7/78
WELL NAME R-12 TORREON
LOCATION NW'NE S 21 T 1 6 ~R
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
McKinley
SPUDDED I N
.
.
LOGS RUN mD9 G I EL
L
'
KB 6520 GL (above SL)
LOG . INT'VAL O"187'.
DATE DRILLED OR 50886EQ. .5/29/78
Menefee
FORMATION TOPSI
P o i n t Lookout Sa.
66.0'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
47.5'(1.2'coal)
49,5'(2,5'
coal)
62,0'(1.9'coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
5.6'
. .
90
.
.
SPUDDED IN
Kenefee
DATE DRILLED O R LOGGm
FORMATION TOPS:
P o i n tL o o k o u t
Ss.
66.5'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
*34.0'(2;0' c o a l )
*36.7'(1.9'
coal)
39.5'(0.9'
coal)
*51.1'(2.1*
coal)
59.0'(1.0'
coal)
*TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
6.0'
91
5/17/78
WELL NAME R-21 TORREON
LOCATION SE&&
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
'
LOGS RUN
HRD, G I N
FORMATION TOPS:
Ss.
PointLookout
100.0'
DEPTH( S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS1
66.0'(1.1'
x T-
R
L
KB a G L (above SL)
LOG INT'Vi 4'-2-Q'
DATE DRILLED OR 4tQGWXL 6/16 -18/78
Menefee
*50.5'(2.1'
S
coal)
coal)
* TOTAL
COAL
THICKNESS
2.1'
92
WBL NAME R-23 TORREON
LOCATION SWsSW ' S L T=
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
ELEVATION I
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
HRD, Go N, EL
DATE DRILLED OR
Menefee
FORMATION TOPSI
PointLookout
Ss.
180.0'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESSr
*
34,1'(2.2'coal)
*
67.0'(2,2'
coal)
143.8'(0.8'coal)
+165.5'(3.5'coal)
*
TOTAL
COAL
THICKNESS
7.9'
93
&R
KB 6230 GL (above SL)
'
LOG INT'V&0'-235'
wcmm
.6/20/78
WELL NAME
R-24 TORRSON
LOCATION SE.NL S 2
COMPANY
Nrmmm
EGEVATION:
COUNTY
McKinley
SPUDDED IN
LOGS RUN
r m e f ee
KB 6340 GL (above SL)
HRD, G , N, SL
DATE DRILLED OR 5 6 "
FORMATION TOPS:
Point L o o k o u t Ss.
DEPTH(S) TO
COAL
75.0'(1.0'
177.0'
AND THICKNESS:
coal)
"TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
1.9'
94
T16N R 5W,
-
LOG INT'VAL 0*-2i6'
6/22/78
WELL NAME R-31 TORREON
LOCATION SW,SW S
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
&EVATION
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
Menefee
HRD, Go EL
a l l in Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH( S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
none
0.0'
95
m
K3 6280 GL (above SL.)
.
LOG I N T ' V & M '
DATE B R C % f B P OR LOGGED
FORMATION
TOPS:
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
I
sT
.4/19/78
LOCATION NW,SE S 23 Tl'i'N R4W
WELL 'NAME R-32 TORREON
FORMATION TOPSI
a l l in Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESSI
141.0'(2.5'
coal)
193.0'(2.2'
coal)
211.9'(3.2'
coal)
223,9'(5.0'
coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
12.9'
96
'
COUNTY
SPUDDED IN
Sandoval
LOGS RUN
HKD, G
LOG INT' V i 4'-150 '
DATE ~xlssmOR LOGGSD
Menef ee
FORMATIONTOPS:
Point Lookout Ss.
lOJb.5'
DEPTH(S) TO COAI, AND THICXNESS:
*82,4'(1.5'
coal)
86.9'(0.8'
coal)
*89.7'(6.0'
coal.)
TOTAL COAL
THICKNESS
7.5'
97
4/19/7a
R-41 TOHREON
LOCATION SEISW
COMPANY
NMBM&MX
ELEVATION :
COUNTY
Sandoval
NAME
WELL
SPUDDEDIN
m
R
Z
KB 6480 GL (above SL)
__c
HRD, GB N , EL
LOG INT'VALJO'-?lD"
DATE DRILLED OR 3[rooe;ED. '7/19/78
Menefee
FORMATION TOPS:
.
. .
LOGS RUN
T
'
a l l in Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO
COAL
131.5'(2.2'
coal)
188.0'(2.2'
coal)
AND THICKNESS:
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
4.4'
98
..
'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
none
TOTAL
COAL
THICKNZSS
0.0'
100
WELL NAME R-51 TORREON'
LOCATION NW,NE S 32 T18N R4W
COMPANY
NMBl'kWIR
FXJEVATION I
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
__KB
LOG I N T ' U L
HRD, G
DATE DRILLED OR 3
,
" '9/27/78
Menefee
FORMATION TOPS,
..
all i n Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
*
.
26.8'(1.3'coal)
63.0'(1.0'
coal)
98.8'(1.0'
coal)
*131.2*(1.3*'~0al)
*135.6'(1.5' ' c o a l )
* TOTAL,
6460 GL (above SL)
COAL THICKNESS
4.1'
-
101
. .
O"74.8'
rw,sw s
WELL NAME
ii-52 TOHKEON
LOCATION
COMPANY
Nl'~lB?4&HFF
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED IN
LOGS RUN
L a Ventana Tongue
KB 6400 GL (above SL)
d r i l l i n g log
Tongue
lhenefee Pmtn.
38.0
0.0'
'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THIC'KNESS:
.51.5'(1.0'
coal)
*199.0'(2.0'
coal)
"TOTAL
COAL
THICKNESS
INT'LOG
VAL
DATE DRILLED OR €&"
FORMATION
TOPS:
La'\rentana
11 T I ~ NRX
"
-
7.0'
102
0'-250'
11/16+17/78
WELL NAME R-53 TORREON
LOCATION NE,NE
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
EZEVATIONI
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
l'denefee
LOG INT'VAL 9 ' 4 3 9 '
HRD, G
DATE DRILLED OR
all i n Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS;
38.2*(2,5'coal)
coal)
70.6'(1.4'coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
6.1'
103
R4W
KB' 6440 GL (above' SL)
FORMATIONTOPSI
56.11'(2,2'
S 28 T 18N
-
.lO/l6+17/78
WELL NAME ri-61 TOR;?EON
LOCATION SW,SE S 21 T18N
COMPANY
Nmrmr.m
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
Sandoval
LOGS RUN
HRDr
KB .-GI,
a l l i n Menefee Frntn. or
SS.
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THIC'KNESS:
*
76.4'(2.0'
coal)
*130.0'(1.4'
coal.)
*
81.1'(1.3'
coal)
*147.6'(3.4'
*
93.5'(2.5'
coal
*154.5'(
)
2.0'
coal)
*
97.7'(1.3'
coal)
* 207.8'(2.0'coal)
1 1 6 . 6 ' ( 1 . 0 c' o a l )
* TOTAL
COAL THICKNZSS
coal.)
*158.2'( 2.5'coal)
*171.2'(1,2'
coal)
*175.3'( 2.2'coal)
21.8'
104
L
(above SZ)
LOG INT'VKL 9'-238'
G
FORMATION TOPS:
tongues of L a Ventana
R
NAT;IE
WELL
R-62 TORR%ON
LOCATION NW'NE
COMPANY
Nrmrwum
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
&mefee
R=
KB 6730 GL (above SL)
HI~D, G
LOG INT'VXL 0 ' - 2 5 5
DATE 3RILLED OR L"3B 10/2*3/78
FORMATION TOPS:
a l l i n MenefeeFmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO
COAL
I.ND THICKNESS:
119.0'(2.9'
coal)
130.6'(1.4'
coal.)
248.6'(1.4'
coal)
COAL
TOTAL
S 11 T18N
THICKNZSS
5.7'
105
-
WELL NAME
R-63 TORAEON
LOCATION NE, SW S 4
COMPANY
NMBM&MR
ELEVATION I
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
'
HHDI
LOGS RUN
Menefee
,
GI
a l l i n Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH( $ ) TO COAL AND THICKNESSr
*30,7*j2.2'
c o a l t somewhat burned)
*85.6'(2.2'
coal)
*88.2'(1.7'
coal)
COAL THICKNESS
N
KB a
G
Z
L (above SL)
LOG INT'VAL 9'-239'
DATE DRILLED OR MSSZB 9/30 t o 20/1/78
FORMATION TOPSI
* TOTAL
'
T 18N R
6.1
106
'
WELL NAME I C - 1
LOCATION NW,SE
COMPANY
ELEVATIONI
Pioneer
Nuclear,
Inc,
S 34 T16N R4W
KB m G L (above SL)
125'-
COUNTY
LOGS RUN
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
GG, EL
DATE DRILLED OR LOGGZD
Menefee
FORMATION TOPSI
P o i n t Lookout Ss.
. Mancos Sh,
LOG 1 N ' L " V i 251tO'
366'
441'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESSr
TOTAL COAL THICKNSSS
'
13.1 *
107
19757
16
WELL NAME #I F e d e r aTl r a c t
COMPANY
1980FSL
LOCATION 698FWL S 8
ELEVATIONI
Hughes and Hughes
T 16N &R
6527 HB 6523 OL (above
SL)
1009-
COUNTY
McKinley
LOGS RUN
'
CFD, IEL
FORMATION
TOPS:
P o i n t Lookout Ss.
Mancos Sh,
350'
615'
..
'DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
284*(2.5'
coal)
333*(2.8'coal)
336'(2.0*coal)
346*(2.5*coal)
108
LOG I N T 9 V U 1611'
W%L NAME 82 F e d e r a l Tract 15
1660FSL
LOCATION 1980FEL S 16 T16N R
CONPANY
Hughes and Hughes
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
Mckinley
SPUDDED I N
"
LOGS RUN
hnefee
&KB
CPD, I E L
L
6346 GL (above SL)
. 36'LOG INT'VAL
DATE DRILLED OR 3&G"
1335'
7/14-16/66
FORMATION
TOPS:
P o i n t Lookout Ss.
Mancos Sh.
78'
-
212'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
none shows on l o g s
-
TOTAL
COAL
THICKNZSS
'
0.0'
109
~~~
LOCATION SW,NW S , 2 z T i6N
WELL NAME
IC-11
COMPANY
Pioneer
Nuclear,
Inc.
ELEVATIONt
R 5W
.
KB 6660 GL (above SL)
10
COUNTY
LOGS RUN
McKinley
SPUDDED I N
GG, EL
FORMATIONTOPS
I
Point Lookout SEI.. 102'
Mancos Sh.
312'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
*82.2'(1,8'
coal)
*90.0'(1.3'
coal)
*98.8'(2*5' c o a l )
* TOTAL
COAL
THICKNESS
LOG 'XNT'VAL 2225'
DATE DRILLED OR LOCGED
h'lenefee
5.6'
110
'-
19757
WEZL NAME Torreon CoreHole
#2
COMPANY
Tenneco O i l Cornmny
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOCATION SE,NW S A .T
ELEVATION,
LOGS RUN
..
P o i n t Lookout Ss.
D. .IEL
854'
956'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS I (from core)
648.0'(3.0'coal)
coal, shaley)
820.0'(3,0'coal)
828.0'(1.5'coal)
849,0'(4.0'coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
19.2'
111
.
6419 KB 6408 GL (above SL)
FORMATION
TOPS:
809.8'(6,2'
L
LOG INT'VAL 52'-9&'
DATE DRILLED OR WNXXD- '5/18-23/67
Menefee
Mancos Sh.
m R ..
WELL NAME
Cabezon #l
198oPNL
LOCATION 1980FZL S 29 T17N R 4 w
COMPANY
Refiners
Petroleum
ELEVATION:
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
"I_
LOGS RUN
Menefee
6432 KB 6423 GL (above SL)
125'-
CFU, IZL
DATE DRILLED'OR
FORMATION
TOPS:
P o i n t Lookout S s .
Mancos Sh.
590'
778'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
no c o a l shows on logs o r w e l l c u t t i n g s
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
0.0'
112
LOG INT'VAL 4055'
m
w
6/21 t o 7/33/71
COMPANY
TeSOrO
COUNTY
Sandoval
,SPUDDED I N
'Gorp,
Petroleum
ELEVATION:
LOGS RUN
CFD, IEL
DqTE DRILLED OR tWH" .12/26/72
Menefee
FORMATION TOPS:
PointLookout
Mancos Sh.
Ss.
1382'
1504'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS1
306.0°(1.2'
6698 KB 6685 GL (above SL)
250 'LOG INT'VAL 4196'
coal)
1280.0'(4.0'
coal)
318.0'(4.0'coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNZSS
27.0'
113
WELL NAME Sandoval
Federal
#I
COMPANY
Sun O i l . Company
COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
330FSL
LOCATIONQ9OFWL S 24 J'! 18N
FLEVATIONl
LOGS RUN
IEL
FORMATION TOPSI
PointLookout
Mancos Sh.
Ss.
1102'
1204'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESSI
601.5'(2.5'coal)
1049.0'(2.0'coal)
TOTAL
THICKNESS
COAL
14.5'
,114
E
6579 KB 6562 GL (above SL)
376''
LOG INT'VAL 3178'
DATE BREfibEB OR LOGGSD
Menefee
R
-
'6/9/71
1630FSL
#4
WELL NAME TorreonCoreHole
COMPANY
LOCATION 1555FWL S 29 T 18N R
ELEVATION:
Tenneco O i l Company
L
6470 KB 6459 GL (above SL>
52'-
COUNTY
LOGS RUN
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
CFDI IEL
DATE DR%bzlE3 OR LOGGZD
Menefee
FORMATION
TOPS:
PointLookout
Ss.
1132'
DEPTH( S ) TO COALAND
165.0'(2.0'
THICKNESSI
2.5' c o a l j
coal)
1119.5'(
216.0'(1.9' c o a l )
224.5'(1
LOG SNT'VXL
I)
5'
998.5'(2.1'
coal)
coal)
1026.0'(2.5''coal)
1028.8'(3.5'
coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
16.0'
115
'5/26/67
1142'
660FNL
.LOCATIONJ980EhLS, S
WELL NAME
Ann #14
COMPANY
Kreatschman and Stowe
ELEVATIONr
6468
aT
m R
KB =GL
L
(above SL)
113'COUNTY
LOGS RUN
Sandoval.
FORMATION TOPS;
!
Point Lookout SS.
Mancos Sh.
978.5'
1060.0'
~
'
LOG INT'VAL
DATE ma+m
OR
- LOGGZD
SPUDDED I N . Menefee
I
CFD, IEL
DEPTH( S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS I
922.0'(3.0'
coal)
935.5'(3.0'
coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
6.0'
116
.
8/3/67
3383'
COMPANY
Tenneco O i l Company
COUNTY
Sandoval.
SPUDDED I N
91OFNL
LOCATION 119OFWL S' 34 T l 8 N R
Hole #7
WELL NAME TorreonCore
ELEVATION:
LOGS RUN
-KB
CFD
6466 GL (above SL)
48'LOG INT'VAL 1154'
DATE BA55€Bf, OR LOGGED
Menefee
.W7/67
FORMATION
TOPS:
PointLookout
Mancos Sh.
Ss.
856'
956'
DEPTH(S)TO COAL AND
*673'(1.5'
THIcmEss:
coal)
*790'(1.8'coal)
8 3 7 ' ( 1 . 0 c' o a l )
*TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
7.3'
117
(core from
L
200
'-672')
WEN
LL
AME
John Toledo #2
790FSL
LOCATION 1 7 8 0 s~ 7~ ~T 1
~ a ~R LCW
COMPANY
Theron J. Graves
ELEVATION:
"-
6632KB &GL
(above SL)
150
Sandoval
COUNTY
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
LOG INT ' V
2
i
CFD, G
C l i f f House S s .
DATE DRILLED OR b8GGZ3
FORMATION
TOPS:
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
*596.6'(1.4'
*216.0'(2.0'
coal)
*410.0'(1.8'
coal)
599.0'( 1.0'
coal)
*420.8'(1.9'
coal)
*590..0'(2.0'coal)
*594.7'( 1.3' c o a l )
*
TOTAL
COAL
THICKNZSS
13.1 '
118
coal)
10/5-9/73
L
198OFSL
LOCATION 660FWLSI-22. T
-
WELL NAME Torreon #1
COMPANY
Re mol ds Mknina Coro.
&KB
EClEVATIONt
R
L
6372 GL (above SL)
16'COUNTY
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
Sandoval
GI N,
LOG TNT'VAL
LL
DATE DR%bM€JOR LOGGED
Menef ee
FORMATION TOPSI
P o i n t L o o k o u t Ss.
Mancos Sh.
1243'
13'32'
~~~~
~~
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
468.0'(2.6'coal)
1121,0'(2.8'
coal)
1162.5'(2.0'coal)
1227.0'(3.5'
coal)
1235.5'(2.1''
coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
13.0'
-
. .
119
'2/1/56
7518'
WELL NAME
LOCATION SE,NE S 22 T18N R4W
Navajo #2
COMPANY Albuaueraue
Assoc.
'
KB 6'34.0 GL (above SL)
Oil C o . ELEVATION:
116'COUNTY
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
LOGS RUN
LOG INT ' V&=
EL
DATE DA.ILLE;o O R LOGGED
Menefee
FORMATION TOPS:
PointLookout
Mancos Sh.
Ss.
1181 *
1371'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS;
469'(4.0'
coal)
985'(2.5*coal)
.
.
1048 * ( 5.0 * coal)
THICKNESS
COAL.
TOTAL
16.5'
120
-
,2/25/53
660FNL
WELL NAME Navalo
#22-4
LOCATION1980FuS_2;?_
0 . A. L i r r i z o l a
COMPANY
'
ELEVATION,
_ _ ,
'i'm&R
KB _hlL27GL (above SL)
34"
COUNTY
LOGS RUN
Sandoval
SPUDDED I N
EL
DATE DR&HED
Menefee
FORMATION
TOPSr
a l l i n Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS1
280.5'(4.5
1
coal)
457.0'(3.5'
coal)
'918.0'(3.0'
coal)
1041.8'(2.0'
coal)
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
13.0'
121
LOG INT'VAL 1142'
OR L O G G Z D / 2 / 1 1 1 / 5 8
WELL NAME L a r r a z o l a 27-1 F e d e r a l
COMPANY
COUNTY
660FNL
LOCATION 6 6 0 S~ ~A ~
S t e w a r t Bros, & P a r k e r
Drilling
Sandoval
LOGS RUN
ELEVATION:
'
ET,
FORMATIONTOPS:
all i n Menefee Fmtn.
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESS:
4-92'( 7.0' c o a l )
761 '( 3.0' c o a l )
TOTAL COAL THICKNESS
6.0'
122
__KB 6325 GL
R&.(above
,LOG INT'V&
SL')
32'-
'
1200 '
WELL NAME F a F, Kelly S t a t e #l
COMPANY
P l m o u t h Oil ComDanv
COUNTY
Sandoval
6 6 0 ~ ~ ~
LOCATIONJ980FEL S '32 T 1 8 N
LOGS RUN
BEVATION:
EL
6490 KB 6482 GL (above SL)
.
200 'LOG INT'VAL 1300'
DATE BRX~YJYEXI O R LOGGED &/13/53,
SPUDDED I N Menefee
F O R M A T I O N TOPSI
Point Lookout
Mancos Sh,
R&"
Ss.
1178'
1298'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THICKNESSr
1106.0'(3.2"coal)
1176.0'(2.0'
coal)
1 1 1 8 ~ 8 ' 312'
(
coal)
TOTAL COAL .THICKNSSS
28.2'
123
-
5/21/53
WELL NAME
Glasebrook #1
990PSL
LOCATION 990FELS 25 T 18N R
COMPANY
Bernard King
ELZVATSON:
L
GL ( above SL)
KB
105'
LOGS RUN
XcKinley
COUNTY
SPUDDED I N
SNT
ZL
DATE BRibEEB OR LOGGZD
C l i f f House Ss.
FORMATION
TOPS:
P o i n t Lookout Ss.
P8ancos Sh.
1501 '
1630'
DEPTH(S) TO COAL AND THSC'KNESS:
931.5'( 3 . 5 '
coal)
1073.0'(4.0'coal)
1401.5'(3.5'
coal)
1473.5'( 3.0'
coal)
1491.0'(3.0'
coal)
1497.0 * (3i.5' c o a l )
THICKNESS
COAL
TOTAL
LOG
20.5'
124
-
'\ T U B
5/12/57
..
APPENDIX I11
Water Well Program Report
by
William J. Stone
and
Steven D. Craigg
125
Water
Well
1
Program
Background and Purpose
Since
1974
the
Bureau
has
been
cooperating
with
the
Water Resources Division of U.S.
the Geological Survey and
the
New
Mexico
State
of the
Engineera study
in
hydrogeology
and water resources of northwestern New Mexico.
The-study
was prompted by the growing energy-development activity
in .
the New Mexico portion of the San Juan Basin. Main
objectives include 1) identifying the potential aquifers,
2 ) delineating
and 3 ) modeling
their geologic and hydrologic characteristics,
the hydrologic system associated with
post-Triassic deposits in the Basin
so that the hydrologic
impact
of
various
energy
development
activities
may
be
evaluated. The gurvey is responsible for compiling the
is
hydrologic data and modeling the Basin. The Bureau
responsible for characterizing the geologic framework of
the
Basin
and
determining the extent to which this framework
controls the occurrence, movement, and quality of in
water
the Basin.
fn order to gain some appreciation of local conditions
in
an
four
otherwise
masters
regional
theses
on
study,
the
the
Bureau
water-resource.
has
supported
situation
in
'Prepared November 1978, for inclusion in report
U.S to
.G.S.
on Torreon coal project-- William
S. Stone, Hydrogeologist,
Bureau, and Steven D. Craigg, Graduate Research Assistant,
Geoscience Dept., New Mexico Tech.
126
selected 15-minute-quadrangle-sized areas in the Basin. One
of these focuses on the Chico Arroyo-Torreon Wash area, and
thus overlaps with the Bureau's coal project area. This
locality
for
is
coal
significant not only because of its potential
development,
but
also
because
it lies within the
southeastern ground-water discharge area for the Basin. As no
funds
have
been
available
in
the
regional
water
study
for
drilling, it was indeed fortunate that some of the coal bore
holes could be completed as ground-water observation wells.
These wells permit testing, sampling, and monitoring not only
the potential aquifers in the area, but also the major rock
types
associated
with the Menefee coal.
Wells Established
7 of the coal holes
Original plans called for completing
as water wells: 3 in the Point Lookout Sandstone,
2 in the
(1 upper and1 lower), 1 in
coals of the Menefee Formation
a channel,
mudstone.
help
The
sandstone of the Menefee, 1 and
in a Menefee
It was hoped that the Point Lookout wells would
establish
remaining
information
associated
for
gradient
wells
were
future
with
Geologic
these
the
the
and
of
ground
planned
mining
Menefee
or
to
water
provide
reclamation
in
the
area.
hydrologic
activity
Formation.
water-level conditions necessitated altering
plans;5 holes
were
completed
as
water
wells
instead
of 7 .
The 5 holes completed permit study of the aquifers ori.ginally
identified
The
except
general
channel sandstones in the Menefee
Formation.
to their construction is shown in Figure
1,
approach
127
Removable Cap
( w i t h I/B"breother hole)
-.-.
L
""-
"
"
-.
-
""- -
"""
-
ATlC WATER LEVEL_c1
" " "
" "
"
....
.. . . . * ..
.
.
a
*
.
.. . .
.
I
.
.
'
1
'
. ..
*.....
.. . .
"-
" """-
"
7
-
Cavings or Fill-----"
"
.-
"
DRILLING TD"L"--"
-
"
Figure 1. I d e a l i z e d c o n s t r u c t i o n o f wells used i n T o r r e o n .
w a t e r . s t u d y( n o t
t o s c a l e ) . A t p l a c e s ,a q u i f e re x t e n d s
t o bottom of hole. Locally water is confined so t h a t
s t a t i c l e v e l i s above t o p o f a q u i f e r o n l y
i n well bore.
128
whereas details regarding their location and construction
1.
are summarized in Table
Preliminary
Results
During the summer and early fall of 1978, major effort
was
directed
toward
establishing
the
water
observation
wells.
Nonetheless, pumping tests were conducted and samples were
analyzed for 3 of the holes. Results of pumping tests
2. Results of chemical
conducted to date are given in Table
analyses made thus far are presented in TableThe3.
compositions
of
the
water
analyzed
a trilinear plot in Figure
2.
the
quality
of
are
compared
by
means
of
Preliminary data show that
water from the Point Lookout is quite good
with total dissolved solids contents less 700
thanppm.
is quite poor
Water from the lower Menefee coal, however,
(falling in the moderately saline category) a with
dissolved
solids content of 9,210 ppm. The sample from R21 would be
classified as sodium-bicarbonate water, that from R23 is
sodium-bicarbonate-sulfate
water,
and
R32
yielded
sodium-
bicarbonate-sulfate-chloride water (Fig. 2).
Work in Progress
Steve Craigg is continuing the study
of the hydrogeology
and
his
water
M.S.
resources
of
the
Chico
Arroyo-Torreon
Wash
as area
thesis project. In addition to hydrologic work, the
study includes analysis of the stratigraphic framework of the
area, the petrographic characteristics (texture, porosity,
129
Table 1. Summary of location and construction details for holes
coal
wells, Torreon Project;
converted to water'observation
Kpl = Point Lookout Sandstone, Kmf
= Menefee Formation,
D = driller's observation, F = field measurement,L = log
value,
Well No.
821
Location
SE,SE,SE
Sec. 18
16N, 4W
Nw,SW,SW
Sec. 6
16N, 4W
SW, SE,NE NE,NW,SE
Sec. 2
Sec. 23
IbN, 5W
17N, 4w
Ground Elev. (ft)
1
Depth (ft)
1
Water Level
( f t : date)
6,395
6,235
6,305 6,540 6,175
244
248
Aquifer
KPl.
KPl
KP1
Top f Aquifer
Ut)
l0OL
180L
177L
228L
155D
Aquifer 68L
Thickness (ft)
144L
49L
5L
15D
Perforated
Xnterval ( ft)
84-241
128-245
177-217
228-233
155-169
157
117
40
5
P
Perforated
Length (ft)
R2 3 R32
93.25
102.20F
(7-27-78)
(8-31-78)
220F
235
123F
(10-13-78)
41.508'
(9-29-78)
Values given are depths
below ground surface.
130
Cl
K24
NW,NW,SW
Sec. 20
18N, 3W
172D
156D
(9-78)
Kmf
Kmf
(lower
coal)
(upper
14
coal)
Table 2.
Sunrmary ofpumping
t e s t s conducted t o d a t e ;
Sandstone, Kmf = Menefee Formation.
Well No.
Location
Depth ( f t )
Water Level
( f t ;d a t e )
Aquifer
R32 R21
K p l = Point Lookout
R23
SE, SE, SE
Sec; 18
Nw, SW, sw
Sec. 6
16N, 4W
16N, 4W
235244
NE,NW, SE
Sec. 23
17N, 4W
248
102.20
(7-27-78)
.93.25
41.50
(8-31-78)
(9-29-78)
KP 1
K P ~
Kmf
(lowercoal)
Pumping Test Data
'@pe of T e s t
(Date)
Rate ( g p d
Bailer
Swabbing
(7-27-78)
(8-31-78)
(9-29-78)
0.27
Drawdown ( f t )
17.6
Elapsed Time (rnin)
85
Recovery (f t )
10.9
Elapsed Time (min)
87
Transmissivity(fr'lday)'
1.1
1.4
4.1
76.0
74
15
4.0
1.1
180
.40
.01
Determined by s l u g method (Lohman, 1972, p . 28).
131
Swabbing
381
-
.035
.0001
Table 3. Results of chemical analyses
of waters made to date;
TDS = total dissolved solids,
ppm = parts per million,
pmhos = micromhos, Kpl= Point Lookout Sandstone,
Kmf Menefee Formation,F = field observation,
L = laboratory measurement.
-
R2
Well No.
R21
3
R32
7.8
1.5
150
3.25
40.1
12.5
40.1
3.7
24.8
18.4
Aquifer
Cations (ppm)L
Ca (none)1
% (125)
Ne (115)
K (none)
3,225
4.4
Anions (ppm)L
HC03
C03
SO4
C1
(none)
(none)
(250)
(250)
328
0
1,750
0
0
260
90
3.8
3,842
1,220
667
415
9,210
6.8
TDS (ppm; 500)L
Temperature
315
16
16
16
Specific Conductance (l~mhos)
580 F
527 L
980 F
895 L
7,000 F
9,790 L
PH
8.8 F
8.2 f,
7.5 F
8.2 L
8.0
(OC)F.
. Values in parentheses
I
7.2 F
L
are recommended limits for domestic
use
(California Water Pollution Control Board).
N e w M o x ~ c o B u r e o u of Mines und Mineral Resources
W o t e r Q u a l i f y Diagram
Figure 2. Trilinear plot of concentrations of major
dissolved solids encountered in waters from Torreon
wells analyzed to date; points identified by well
numbers (see Tables 1, 3, and 4 ) .
Small triangles
at sides give keyto classification of waters.
133
composition) of the potential aquifers and associated units,
and the role these factors play in controlling water-resource
availability in the area. Final results of the thesis study
are
scheduled
to
be published by the Bureau
as Hydrogeologic
Sheet 4 .
The
wells
will
also
provide
a means
of
monitoring
the
major aquifers after the thesis study is completed. The
existence
of
such
wells should prove especially useful
should coal mining be initiated in the area. Specific use
depends on'the location and nature of the development.
Pending
such
development,
the
wells
will
be
visited
annually for water-level measurement, water sampling and
general inspection.
References Cited
Davis, S.N. and Dewiest, R . J . M . ,
1966, Hydrogeology: New
York,, John Wiley and Sons Inc.,
4 6 3 p.
Lohman, S.W.,
1972, Ground-water hydraulics: U.S.
Survey Professional Paper708, 70 p.
Geological
,
T, 18 N.
For explanotion see
Scale I :24,000
Contour i n t e r v a l 2 0 f t
1
0
H"
I
1
I
I
0
H
H
W
H
I
1 km
mi
shaet I